Breakdown of Wir waren total verblüfft, weil niemand Fehler machte.
sein
to be
machen
to make, to do
wir
we
der Fehler
the mistake
Questions & Answers about Wir waren total verblüfft, weil niemand Fehler machte.
The lesson focuses on nur dass. How would that conjunction change the meaning if used instead of weil here?
It would completely change the logic. Weil gives the reason for being amazed. Nur dass (only that / except that) introduces a restriction or exception. You would use it in a context like: Wir waren perfekt vorbereitet, nur dass jemand einen Fehler machte (We were perfectly prepared, except that someone made a mistake).
Why is there no German equivalent for "any" in niemand Fehler machte?
English often uses "any" in negative sentences (nobody made any mistakes). German typically skips this and just uses the plural noun with no article (a zero article). Saying niemand Fehler machte naturally translates to "nobody made any mistakes."
Could I say weil niemand Fehler gemacht hat instead of using machte?
Absolutely. Machte is the simple past (Präteritum), which is common in written narratives or formal contexts. In everyday conversation, Germans would almost always use the spoken past (Perfekt) and say weil niemand Fehler gemacht hat. Both are perfectly valid here.
I'm unfamiliar with verblüfft. How is it used here?
Verblüfft is an adjective meaning amazed, baffled, or dumbfounded. It is originally the past participle of the verb verblüffen (to amaze or startle), but here it functions just like a normal adjective to describe a state of mind, much like "amazed" does in English.