Breakdown of Við sjáum mikið í einni ferð.
við
we
mikið
a lot
í
in / into / to (before the hour, in telling time) / per (in frequency expressions)
einn
one
sjá
to see
ferðin
the trip
Questions & Answers about Við sjáum mikið í einni ferð.
Why is the word for "one" spelled einni here instead of einn or eitt?
The number "one" (einn) changes its ending to match the gender, case, and number of the noun it describes. Here, it describes ferð (trip), which is a feminine noun. Because the preposition í puts the noun into the dative case in this context, the number must also be in the dative feminine form, which is einni.
Why does the preposition í trigger the dative case here? Doesn't it sometimes take the accusative?
Yes, í can take either the accusative or the dative. It takes the accusative when showing direct movement or motion into a place. It takes the dative when showing a static location, or being situated within an event or period of time. Since the seeing happens during the trip, rather than moving into it, í takes the dative.
Why does í translate to "on" here, rather than "in"?
Prepositions rarely map perfectly between languages. While í most commonly translates to "in", Icelandic conventionally uses í for trips and journeys (í einni ferð). English just happens to use "on" for trips, so we translate the underlying concept rather than the literal word.
Could I use margt instead of mikið to say "we see a lot"?
Yes, but it changes the nuance slightly. Mikið means "a lot" or "much" as a general, uncountable volume of experience. If you used margt, which means "many things", you would be emphasizing the individual, countable sights or places you saw on the trip.
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