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Ein(es) der wichtigsten Segelflugzentren ist in Deutschland bis heute die hessiche Wasserkuppe

The bracketted part was removed, and I am supposed to fill it in. I took it as "ein". Unfortunately it is wrong.

Why is it eines here?

I asked a similar question before here but I still have diffiuclty conceptualizing the article when it's in the gentive case like above.

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  • Eines is not an article as the answer to your first question told you. It is also not genitive.
    – RHa
    Commented Jan 5 at 19:23
  • Then what is it? @RHa
    – Brian
    Commented Jan 5 at 19:26
  • To quote the answer to your first question: "In your example, "eine" is an indefinite pronoun." The same applies to eines in your current question. Please read the answers to your questions carefully so that you don't have to ask again.
    – RHa
    Commented Jan 5 at 19:31
  • Ok that is fine, but the problem is thinking of the ending
    – Brian
    Commented Jan 5 at 19:32
  • 3
    Does this answer your question? function of "eines" in "eines der größten Abwehr-Talente in Europa"
    – RHa
    Commented Jan 5 at 19:35

1 Answer 1

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Spot and remember the ein__ der combination. That one means one of the …. That ein__ is an indefinite pronoun and it must be declined according to the gender of the noun after der but the case required by the function of the whole item in the sentence.

  • der Kasten, die Kiste, das Kästchen

Nominativ

  • einer der Kästen
  • eine der Kisten
  • eines der Kästchen

Genitiv

  • wegen eines der Kästen
  • wegen einer der Kisten
  • wegen eines der Kästchen

Dativ

  • in einem der Kästen
  • in einer der Kisten
  • in einem der Kästchen

Akkusativ

  • in einen der Kästen
  • in eine der Kisten
  • in eines der Kästchen

As you can see, that der never changes. That is because it's always genitive plural. You could only switch it for a different sort of determiner, e.g. vieler:

  • in einem vieler Kästen
  • in einer vieler Kisten
  • in einem vieler Kästchen

Those mean in one of many …. Also, be aware that there is an alternative to using a genitive attribute:

  • in einem von den Kästen
  • in einer von den Kisten
  • in einem von den Kästchen

And again e.g.

  • in einem von vielen Kästen
  • in einer von vielen Kisten
  • in einem von vielen Kästchen
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  • It doesn't necessarily have be an indefinite pronoun, it could be a Numeral: "eines der Zentren", "zwei der Zentren", ...
    – bakunin
    Commented Jan 7 at 0:23

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