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Ein paar intelligenter Leute sind hierher gekommen.

or

Ein paar intelligenten Leuten sind hierher gekommen.

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  • 5
    Neither nor. Ein paar is treated like a number and doesn't affect the case at all.
    – chirlu
    Sep 26, 2015 at 12:29
  • 1
    Keins von beiden ist korrekt.
    – Karl
    Sep 26, 2015 at 12:30
  • So what would be the correct way to say this?
    – ILoveChess
    Sep 26, 2015 at 12:31

3 Answers 3

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As others have pointed out, ein paar works as if it were a number. Compare the following:

Ein paar intelligente Leute wohnen hier.

Wir gedenken ein paar intelligenter Leute.

Ich bringe ein paar intelligenten Leuten Tee.

Ich begrüße ein paar intelligente Leute.

As you can see, the case can be any of the four and is governed by the position of the entire phrase, not by ein paar.

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5

Actually it is:

Ein paar intelligente Leute sind hierher gekommen.

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4
  • So, I deduce that "ein paar" is not a preposition :)
    – ILoveChess
    Sep 26, 2015 at 12:47
  • yes. However one can construct a sentence with "intelligenteR".
    – rul30
    Sep 26, 2015 at 12:50
  • »Das ist das Werk intelligenter Leute.«
    – rul30
    Sep 26, 2015 at 12:51
  • "ein paar" is an indefinite numeral as "einige, wenige, viele.
    – rogermue
    Sep 27, 2015 at 13:32
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Your sentences are wrong, but you can make two correct sentences out of it with different meanings, just by applying very small changes:

Ein Paar intelligenter Leute ist hierher gekommen.
A pair of intelligent people did come here.

The uppercase P at Paar turns »some« into »a pair« (meaning: two who belong together). But since you have just one pair that builds the sentences subject, you have to use the singular for the verb (»ist« instead of »sind«).

»Intelligenter Leute« is like »roter Rosen« in »Ein Strauß roter Rosen«. It tells you, of what the pair is made. You can ask for the intelligent people with »wovon« (»of what«):

Ein Paar [wovon?] ist hierher gekommen.

Ein paar intelligente Leute sind hierher gekommen.
Some intelligent people did come here.

Here (with lowercase p at paar) »ein paar« means »some«, and this is treated like any number that is different from one:

Sieben intelligente Leute sind hierher gekommen.
Einige intelligente Leute sind hierher gekommen.
Mehrere intelligente Leute sind hierher gekommen.
Viele intelligente Leute sind hierher gekommen.
Ein paar intelligente Leute sind hierher gekommen.

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    I think it's worth pointing out that while the first meaning is the original one from which the second is derived (in analogy to the younger English couple ambiguity), the second is so common nowadays that the first would not necessarily be understood as intended when spoken. In most contexts one would automatically 'correct' the ending of intelligenter to fit lower case paar.
    – user2183
    Sep 26, 2015 at 16:41

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