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Questions & Answers about Tabii, problem yok.
Why does tabii have two 'i's at the end, and do I pronounce both of them?
The double i at the end of tabii indicates a long vowel sound. It is a loanword from Arabic, which is why it has this unusual spelling. In everyday, fast-paced spoken Turkish, people often shorten it and pronounce it like tabi, but in formal writing, you should always use the double ii.
I usually hear people say sorun yok for "no problem". Is there a difference between problem yok and sorun yok?
There is no difference in meaning! Problem is a loanword borrowed from European languages, while sorun is a native Turkish word. Both mean "problem," and native speakers use problem yok and sorun yok interchangeably in daily conversation.
Why do we use yok here instead of hayır (no) or değil (not)?
In Turkish, yok specifically means "there is not" or "does not exist." So problem yok literally translates to "there is no problem" (or "a problem does not exist"). You use hayır to answer a yes/no question, and değil to negate a description (like saying "it is not big"). Whenever you want to say "there is no [noun]," you must use yok.