Seine Eltern haben kaum noch Einfluss auf ihn.
His parents hardly have any influence on him any more.
Breakdown of Seine Eltern haben kaum noch Einfluss auf ihn.
die Eltern
the parents
sein
his
auf
on / to (down/up to a level)
noch
still / yet
Questions & Answers about Seine Eltern haben kaum noch Einfluss auf ihn.
Why do we use the phrase Einfluss haben auf instead of just using a single verb?
Einfluss haben is a Nomen-Verb-Verbindung (noun-verb combination). While you could just use the single verb beeinflussen (to influence), German frequently uses these fixed pairings of a noun and a basic verb (like haben, machen, or treffen) to sound a bit more formal or to put special emphasis on the noun itself.
Why does this expression use the preposition auf, and why is ihn in the accusative case?
The noun Einfluss specifically requires the preposition auf when mentioning the target of the influence. Because the influence is directed at someone, auf takes the accusative case here. That is why we use the accusative ihn instead of the dative ihm.
How does kaum noch translate to 'hardly any more'? Doesn't noch usually mean 'still'?
You are right that noch typically translates to 'still'. However, when combined with kaum (hardly or barely), the phrase kaum noch expresses that an ongoing situation is fading and almost over. While literally it feels like 'barely still', the natural English equivalent is 'hardly any more'.
Why are the adverbs kaum noch placed right before Einfluss?