Breakdown of Die Ausführung war fast perfekt, nur dass wir den Schirm vergaßen.
sein
to be
wir
we
der Schirm
the umbrella
vergessen
to forget
perfekt
perfect / perfectly
fast
almost
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
nur dass
only that / except that (introducing a restriction)
die Ausführung
the execution
Questions & Answers about Die Ausführung war fast perfekt, nur dass wir den Schirm vergaßen.
How does nur dass affect the word order in the second half of the sentence?
Because dass is a subordinating conjunction, the entire phrase nur dass (except that / only that) introduces a dependent clause. This requires the conjugated verb, vergaßen, to be placed at the very end of the sentence.
Could I use außer dass instead of nur dass here?
Yes, außer dass is a direct synonym and would work perfectly. Both are used to add a restriction or exception to the main clause. However, nur dass often sounds a little more conversational, similar to saying 'only, we forgot the umbrella' in English.
Why does the sentence use the simple past vergaßen instead of the spoken past vergessen haben?
While vergessen haben is exactly what you would hear in everyday conversation, vergaßen is the simple past (Präteritum), which is common in written German or formal storytelling. Since the first clause uses war (a simple past form standard in both spoken and written German), using vergaßen keeps the sentence stylistically consistent for a written context.
Does Ausführung mean 'execution' as in carrying out a plan, or as in a punishment?
It refers exclusively to carrying out a plan, performing a routine, or completing a task. It comes from the separable verb ausführen (to carry out / execute). If you need to talk about an execution in the penal sense, the correct word is die Hinrichtung.
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