dair

Formal Relation Marker Dair

Level 5

The postposition dair is used in formal, legal, and academic contexts to indicate the subject or topic of something. It translates to 'about', 'regarding', or 'pertaining to'.

How It Works

1. Grammatical Structure
The word dair follows a noun or pronoun that has been declined in the dative case.
Structure: [Noun/Pronoun] + -(y)a/-(y)ə + dair.

Unlike haqqında, which requires the genitive case for pronouns (e.g., mənim haqqımda), dair consistently governs the dative case for both nouns and pronouns:

məsələyə dair (regarding the issue)
mənə dair (concerning me)
sizə dair (regarding you)

2. Usage with Verbal Nouns
In formal reports, legal decrees, and academic writing, dair frequently follows a verbal noun or infinitive in the dative case to describe the scope of an action or regulation:

-masına/-məsinə dair: Layihənin ləğv edilməsinə dair qərar (The decision regarding the cancellation of the project).
-mağa/-məyə dair: Əməkdaşlıq etməyə dair razılaşma (Agreement regarding cooperating).

3. Register and Context
This pattern is highly formal. You will encounter it in:

Official government decrees and laws.
Academic titles and research papers.
Formal news reporting and headlines.
Legal contracts and protocols.

In casual conversation, speakers almost exclusively use haqqında (or the shortened form haqda). While ilə əlaqədar is also a common synonym, it is similarly formal and used in official contexts.

4. Comparison with Synonyms

vs. haqqında: Haqqında is neutral and uses the nominative case for nouns, but the genitive for pronouns. Dair is formal and always uses the dative.
vs. barəsində: Barəsində is also formal and follows the same case rules as haqqında, taking a nominative noun (e.g., məsələ barəsində) and a genitive pronoun (e.g., sənin barəndə).
vs. aid: While both take the dative, dair specifically marks the 'topic' or 'subject matter' of a formal document or discussion. In contrast, aid is used for association, ownership, or as a predicate (e.g., Bu mənə aiddir - This belongs/pertains to me).

Examples (4)

Yeni qanuna dair izahatlar verildi.
Explanations regarding the new law were given.
Word by Word: New law-to regarding explanations were-given.
Here, 'qanun' (law) takes the dative suffix '-a' before 'dair' to show the topic of the explanations.
Məsələyə dair heç bir qərar qəbul edilməyib.
No decision has been made regarding the issue.
Word by Word: Issue-to regarding no one decision accepted was-not-made.
In formal contexts, 'dair' is used to link the 'decision' to the 'issue'.
Səsvermənin nəticələrinə dair protokol imzalandı.
The protocol on the election results was signed.
Word by Word: Voting's results-to regarding protocol was-signed.
This is a classic official headline structure using 'dair' to define the subject of a protocol.
Buna dair əlavə məlumatınız varmı?
Do you have additional information regarding this?
Word by Word: This-to regarding additional information-your exists-question?
When used with the demonstrative pronoun 'bu' (this), it becomes 'buna dair'.

Common Mistakes

Using the nominative case instead of the dative case.
Qanun dair müzakirələr.
Qanuna dair müzakirələr.
Learners often forget the dative suffix because the synonym 'haqqında' does not require it for nouns. 'Dair' must always follow the dative case.
This sentence is correct, but it sounds too formal for a chat with friends.
Different MeaningDünənki filmə dair danışaq?
Dünənki film haqqında danışaq?
Using 'dair' when talking to friends about a movie sounds overly bureaucratic and stiff. Use 'haqqında' for informal topics.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

dairLevel 5Formal Relation Marker Dair

Learn This First

To use 'dair', you must first understand the dative case (-a/-ə), as this postposition always governs that case. It is a formal alternative to 'haqqında' (about), so familiarity with basic topic markers is helpful.

Words in This Pattern