Breakdown of Mér finnst meistarinn spila best.
spila
to play
finnast
to find, to think
mér
me (dative)
meistarinn
the champion
best
best (adverb / neuter)
Questions & Answers about Mér finnst meistarinn spila best.
In this sentence, why is best used instead of bestur?
Best is a superlative adverb here, describing how the champion plays (modifying the verb spila). If you were describing the champion himself (a masculine noun), you would use the superlative adjective bestur (for example, hann er bestur - he is best).
What is the base form of the adverb best?
The base form is vel (well). The comparative is betur (better) and the superlative is best (best). Just like in English (well, better, best), it is highly irregular!
Why is the verb spila in the infinitive form here?
The verb finnast (to find or think) can be followed directly by a subject and an infinitive verb. You can think of it as literally saying 'I find the champion to play best.' You could also express this with the conjunction að (that), which would require a conjugated verb in the subjunctive mood: Mér finnst að meistarinn spili best.
As a quick refresher, why does the sentence start with Mér instead of Ég?
The verb finnast (to think or feel) is an impersonal verb that always takes a dative subject. Since you are the one holding the opinion, ég becomes the dative mér. The sentence is built similarly to 'To me, the champion seems to play best.'
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