tabii ki
/tabii ci/from spelling rules
The English word 'sure' can be translated into Turkish as tabii ki.
Tabii ki is used to express agreement or to emphasize that something is certain, similar to how 'sure' or 'of course' is used in English.
Meaning: certain in one's knowledge or belief (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tabii ki literally means 'of course' or 'naturally'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Turkish, tabii ki functions as an adverbial phrase and does not change its form based on the subject or tense of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /tabii ci/. The /b/ sound is like the [b] in 'about', the /i/ sound is like the [ee] in 'creek' and the /c/ sound is like the [sk] in 'skew'.
Did you know?
- If you say tabii ki with a falling intonation, it can sound dismissive, as if you are saying 'obviously' to someone who should already know.
- The word tabii shares the same root as 'nature' in English, because it is derived from the Arabic word for 'natural'.
- Turkish has several ways to say 'sure', and while tabii ki is for obvious truths, the word emin is used when you are personally confident in your knowledge.
Examples in context
- Tabii ki, neden olmasın.Sure, why not?This sentence is useful for expressing agreement with the question 'why not?'Tatoeba #5140078 by deyta, translation #1610745 by Shishir
- Sigara dumanı sağlıksız olabilir ama tabii ki güzel görünüyor.Cigarette smoke may be unhealthy, but it sure does look pretty.This sentence shows how tabii ki can be used to emphasize a certain quality.Tatoeba #5957029 by deyta, translation #5955994 by mailohilohi
- Tabii ki!Sure!This sentence is useful for a simple, emphatic 'Sure!'Tatoeba #1071046 by haciahmet, translation #888561 by sacredceltic
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zeynep and Mehmet are discussing the certainty of a weather report.
- ZeynepYarın yağmur yağacak mı?Will it rain tomorrow?
- MehmetTabii ki, hava durumu öyle söylüyor.Sure, the weather report says so.
- ZeynepO zaman şemsiyeni yanına almalısın.Then you should take your umbrella with you.
- MehmetHaklısın, hazırlıklı olmakta fayda var.You're right, it's better to be prepared.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ki, tabii, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
