Breakdown of Þetta er ein af áhrifamestu hljómsveitunum.
þetta
this
vera
to be
einn
one
af
of (in quantity expressions)
áhrifamikill
influential
hljómsveitin
the band
Questions & Answers about Þetta er ein af áhrifamestu hljómsveitunum.
Why do we use the feminine ein when the sentence starts with the neutral Þetta?
How does the einn af rule apply to the end of this sentence?
The preposition af always forces the noun phrase that follows it into the dative case. Because we are talking about "one of the bands" (multiple bands), the phrase must be in the dative plural. That is why we use the dative plural forms áhrifamestu and hljómsveitunum.
Why is the definite article attached to hljómsveitunum?
Just like in English, when you say "one of the...", the noun needs to be definite. hljómsveit is a feminine noun. Its indefinite dative plural form is hljómsveitum, and when we attach the dative plural definite article -num, it becomes hljómsveitunum (the bands).
Why does the superlative adjective áhrifamestu just end in -u?
Because it comes directly before a definite noun (hljómsveitunum), the adjective must use the weak declension. For superlative adjectives in the weak declension, it is actually very simple: all plural forms just end in -u, regardless of their gender or case.
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