Breakdown of Der Flashmob auf dem Platz war toll, nur dass mein Freund fehlte.
sein
to be
der Freund
the friend
mein
my
toll
great
Questions & Answers about Der Flashmob auf dem Platz war toll, nur dass mein Freund fehlte.
How does nur dass affect the word order here?
The phrase nur dass acts as a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb (fehlte) to the very end of that clause.
Is there a difference between using nur dass and außer dass in this sentence?
They are nearly identical in meaning here and both send the verb to the end. außer dass translates directly to "except that." nur dass translates to "only that" and is often used colloquially to express a slight sense of regret or point out a minor downside to an otherwise positive situation.
Why is mein Freund fehlte translated as "my friend was missing"? Doesn't fehlen usually mean "to lack"?
While fehlen often means "to lack" (for example, Mir fehlt das Geld - I lack the money), when it refers to a person at an event or a specific location, it simply means "to be absent" or "to be missing".
Why does the sentence use the dative auf dem Platz instead of the accusative auf den Platz?
auf is a two-way preposition. Because the flash mob took place at a fixed location (answering the question "where?"), it takes the dative case. If the sentence described movement onto the square (answering "where to?"), you would use the accusative auf den Platz.