Breakdown of Við þurfum að sannfæra stjórann um fjárhagsáætlunina.
við
we
að
to (infinitive marker)
þurfa
to need
um
about
Questions & Answers about Við þurfum að sannfæra stjórann um fjárhagsáætlunina.
This lesson is about using fá to persuade people. Why use sannfæra instead of fá stjórann til að... here?
The construction fá einhvern til að gera eitthvað is used when you are getting or persuading someone to perform an action (using an infinitive verb). Because we are convincing the boss about a noun (fjárhagsáætlunina), we use the verb sannfæra (to convince) followed by the preposition um (about).
Why is the person being convinced (stjórann) in the accusative case?
The verb sannfæra directly governs the accusative case for the person you are convincing. Therefore, the nominative stjóri becomes stjóra, and adding the definite article gives us stjórann.
What case does the preposition um take here, and why?
When um means about or concerning, it almost always takes the accusative case. This is why the feminine noun fjárhagsáætlun takes the accusative definite suffix -ina to become fjárhagsáætlunina.
Fjárhagsáætlun is quite a mouthful. What are its component parts?
It is a compound formed from fjárhags (the genitive of fjárhagur, meaning finances) and áætlun (plan or estimate). It literally translates to a financial plan, which is the standard Icelandic word for a budget.