Breakdown of Almenningurinn hefur ekki neinar upplýsingar.
ekki
not
hafa
to have
upplýsingarnar
the information
neinn
any (in negative sentences)
almenningurinn
the public
Questions & Answers about Almenningurinn hefur ekki neinar upplýsingar.
Why do we use the form neinar here instead of just neinn?
Because neinn (any) is acting as a determiner here, meaning it has to agree in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies. Since upplýsingar (information) is feminine, plural, and in the accusative case (as the direct object of hefur), neinn must take the feminine plural accusative form neinar.
Could I say ...hefur engar upplýsingar instead of ...hefur ekki neinar upplýsingar?
Yes, absolutely! Just like in English where you can say 'does not have any information' (ekki neinar) or 'has no information' (engar), both are perfectly correct in Icelandic and mean the same thing. Using ekki neinar just puts slightly more emphasis on the negation.
Why is upplýsingar (information) in the plural form?
Unlike in English, where 'information' is an uncountable singular noun, the Icelandic word upplýsingar is almost always used in the plural when referring to information in general. The singular form upplýsing exists, but it usually refers to a single, specific piece of information, like a single tip or detail.
Why does almenningurinn take the singular verb hefur if it refers to a group of people?
In Icelandic, collective nouns like almenningur (public) or fólk (people) are strictly singular grammatically and always take a singular verb. While English speakers might sometimes say 'the public have', you must always use the 3rd person singular in Icelandic.
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