Persian دربارهی darbâre-ye and در مورد dar mowred-e both introduce a topic: “about,” “concerning,” or “regarding.” دربارهی is the broad neutral choice in speech and writing; در مورد is also common but often sounds more administrative, analytical, or issue-focused.
Both constructions contain a nominal element linked to their complement by ezâfe. After silent ه, the linker is visible in دربارهی موضوع. After consonant-final مورد, it is heard but normally unwritten: در موردِ موضوع is displayed در مورد موضوع in ordinary text.
Core contrast
| Form | Core use | Typical context | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| دربارهی X | about X; X as topic | conversation, writing, books | neutral |
| در مورد X | regarding X; in the matter of X | questions, decisions, administration | neutral to formal |
| دربارهی اینکه ... | about the fact/question that... | clausal topic | formal-neutral |
| در مورد اینکه ... | regarding whether/that... | deliberation | formal |
دیشب دربارهی سفرمان به شیراز صحبت کردیم.
dishab darbâre-ye safar-emân be shirâz sohbat kardim.
Last night we talked about our trip to Shiraz. (neutral standard)
در مورد درخواست شما هنوز تصمیمی نگرفتهایم.
dar mowred-e darkhâst-e shomâ hanuz tasmim-i nagerefte-im.
We have not yet made a decision regarding your request. (formal/administrative)
The difference is a tendency, not a truth-conditional divide. Either phrase can introduce most ordinary topics. در مورد foregrounds a matter under consideration; دربارهی more simply identifies what speech, writing, or knowledge concerns.
Ezâfe is part of the construction
The complement does not follow either expression as a bare juxtaposed noun. The final nominal carries ezâfe. In دربارهی, modern standard spelling writes هی because درباره ends in silent ه. In در مورد, the -e is audible but invisible.
این مقاله دربارهی آلودگی هواست.
in maqâle darbâre-ye âludegi-ye havâ-st.
This article is about air pollution. (formal-neutral)
در مورد برنامهی فردا یک سؤال دارم.
dar mowred-e barnâme-ye fardâ yek so'âl dâram.
I have a question about tomorrow's schedule. (careful spoken standard)
The visible ی in دربارهی is not optional decoration and is not an independent word. Review the general spelling on the ezâfe after silent he page.
Verb and noun collocations
Topic-taking verbs strongly favor these phrases: صحبت کردن دربارهی “talk about,” پرسیدن دربارهی “ask about,” تصمیم گرفتن در مورد “decide regarding,” and توضیح دادن دربارهی “explain about.” Nouns likewise take them: اطلاعاتی دربارهی “information about,” پرسشی در مورد “a question regarding.”
میخواهم دربارهی شرایط ثبتنام بپرسم.
mi-khâham darbâre-ye sharâyet-e sabt-nâm beporsam.
I want to ask about the registration requirements. (neutral standard)
کمیته در مورد زمان اجرای طرح تصمیم میگیرد.
komite dar mowred-e zamân-e ejrâ-ye tarh tasmim mi-girad.
The committee will decide on the plan's implementation time. (formal)
Verb-preposition choice is partly lexical. English “discuss X” takes no about, but Persian naturally says دربارهی X صحبت کردن or uses transitive X را بررسی کردن “examine X.” Do not force a single English pattern onto every Persian verb.
Topic phrases versus direct objects
The topic phrase is prepositional and does not take را. A separate direct object may appear in the same sentence: این سؤال را در مورد قرارداد مطرح کردیم “We raised this question regarding the contract” has این سؤال را as its object, while در مورد قرارداد supplies the topic domain.
کارشناس دربارهی قرارداد توضیح کوتاهی داد.
kârshenâs darbâre-ye qarârdâd towzih-e kutâh-i dâd.
The expert gave a brief explanation about the contract. (formal-neutral)
قرارداد is the complement of دربارهی, while توضیح کوتاهی belongs to the light-verb predicate. Adding را after the topic would misidentify its grammatical role.
Clausal topics
When the topic is a proposition or unresolved question, اینکه turns the clause into a nominal complement: دربارهی اینکه چرا... “about why...,” در مورد اینکه آیا... “regarding whether....” Heavy clauses usually follow the phrase; do not strand دربارهی at the end as English can strand about.
دربارهی اینکه چرا جلسه لغو شد چیزی نگفتند.
darbâre-ye in-ke cherâ jalase laghv shod chiz-i nagoftand.
They said nothing about why the meeting was canceled. (formal-neutral)
در مورد اینکه کدام گزینه بهتر است فردا صحبت میکنیم.
dar mowred-e in-ke kodâm gozine behtar ast fardâ sohbat mi-konim.
Tomorrow we will discuss which option is better. (formal)
A short exchange
جلسه دربارهی چه موضوعی است؟
jalase darbâre-ye che mowzu'-i ast?
What is the meeting about? (careful spoken standard)
در مورد بودجهی سال آینده صحبت میکنیم.
dar mowred-e budje-ye sâl-e âyande sohbat mi-konim.
We are discussing next year's budget. (formal-neutral)
Common Mistakes
1. Omitting written هی
❌ درباره موضوع صحبت کردیم.
Incorrect standard spelling — درباره requires visible هی before its complement.
✅ دربارهی موضوع صحبت کردیم.
darbâre-ye mowzu' sohbat kardim.
We talked about the topic.
2. Omitting spoken ezâfe after مورد
❌ در مورد قرارداد سؤال کردم.
dar mowred qarârdâd so'âl kardam
Incorrect pronunciation — مورد carries ezâfe before قرارداد.
✅ در مورد قرارداد پرسیدم.
dar mowred-e qarârdâd porsidam.
I asked about the contract.
3. Adding را to the topic complement
❌ دربارهی قرارداد را صحبت کردیم.
Incorrect — قرارداد is a prepositional complement, not a را-marked direct object.
✅ دربارهی قرارداد حرف زدیم.
darbâre-ye qarârdâd harf zadim.
We talked about the contract.
4. Stranding the preposition
❌ این موضوعی است که صحبت کردیم دربارهی.
Incorrect — Persian normally keeps the complement after دربارهی.
✅ این موضوعی است که دربارهی آن صحبت کردیم.
in mowzu'-i ast ke darbâre-ye ân sohbat kardim.
This is a topic that we discussed.
Key Takeaways
- دربارهی is broadly neutral; در مورد often frames a matter under consideration.
- Both take ezâfe: visible هی after درباره, audible -e after مورد.
- Topic complements do not take را.
- Learn frequent collocations rather than translating English about mechanically.
- Use اینکه when the topic complement is a clause.
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