Learn Hardcore Turkish: Sınav yaklaşınca ders çalışmak zorlaşıyor. - As the exam approaches, studying becomes difficult.

-ınca is a time-conjunction suffix that turns the verb yaklaş into an adverbial clause meaning when, as soon as, or once the action happens. You attach it directly to the verb stem and choose the variant by vowel harmony:

stems with a/ı take -ınca
stems with e/i take -ince
stems with o/u take -unca
stems with ö/ü take -ünce
Hence yaklaş + ınca = yaklaşınca.

Why is there no separate word for when and why is yaklaşınca written as one word?

Turkish expresses conjunctions like when through suffixes attached to verbs rather than standalone words. The time relationship is built into yaklaşınca itself, so you don’t need a separate when and you keep it as one word (verb + suffix).

What does ders çalışmak mean here, and why is it in the infinitive form?

ders çalışmak literally means to study lessons or simply studying. In Turkish, the infinitive (stem + -mak/-mek) can function like a noun and serve as the subject or object of a sentence. Here ders çalışmak is the subject of zorlaşıyor (“gets harder”).

Why is sınav unmarked by a case ending at the beginning of the sentence?

sınav is the subject of the subordinate time clause (when the exam approaches). Subjects in Turkish typically remain in the nominative case without any suffix, and Turkish has no articles like the or a.

Why is there no comma between sınav yaklaşınca and ders çalışmak zorlaşıyor?

Turkish does not require a comma before a subordinate clause formed with -ınca. You may add one for clarity, but most writers simply omit it.

How does yaklaşınca differ from yaklaşırken?

yaklaşınca (stem + -ınca) means when or as soon as an event occurs (a single or threshold moment).
yaklaşırken (stem + -ken) means while or during an ongoing action.
So yaklaşınca = once the exam approaches, whereas yaklaşırken = while the exam is approaching.

Could you use yaklaştıkça instead of yaklaşınca? What changes in meaning?

Yes. yaklaştıkça (stem + -dıkça) expresses the more something happens. So yaklaştıkça would mean the more the exam approaches, the harder studying becomes, emphasizing gradual intensification rather than a single threshold moment with yaklaşınca.

Why is zorlaşıyor in the continuous form with -yor?

Turkish uses the -yor suffix to indicate present continuous or habitual actions. zorlaşıyor means is becoming harder or gets harder. There is no simple present tense without -yor; it covers ongoing, repeated, or general present events.

Could you say ders çalışmak zor oluyor instead of ders çalışmak zorlaşıyor? What is the difference?

Both are grammatically correct:

ders çalışmak zor oluyor uses zor olmak (to be difficult) and suggests studying is being/becoming difficult.
ders çalışmak zorlaşıyor uses zorlaşmak (to get difficult) and emphasizes the process of becoming harder.
The nuance is subtle, with zorlaşmak focusing more on the change over time.