Breakdown of Die Stimmung riss uns mit, nur dass wir müde wurden.
wir
we
müde
tired
uns
us
werden
to become / to get (change of state)
die Stimmung
the atmosphere / the mood
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
nur dass
only that / except that (introducing a restriction)
mitreißen
to carry along
Questions & Answers about Die Stimmung riss uns mit, nur dass wir müde wurden.
How does nur dass affect the word order in the second half of the sentence?
nur dass acts as a subordinating conjunction, which means it introduces a dependent clause. As a result, it pushes the conjugated verb (wurden) to the very end of the sentence.
Where does the verb form riss ... mit come from?
It comes from the separable verb mitreißen, which means to sweep along, thrill, or carry away. Because the first half of the sentence is a main clause in the simple past tense (Präteritum), the main part of the verb (riss) takes the second position, and the prefix (mit) is sent to the end of that clause right before the comma.
Why does the sentence use wurden instead of waren?
wurden is the simple past tense of werden (to become). It shows a change of state. Using wurden means the speakers got tired or became tired over time. If you used waren, it would mean they were already tired from the beginning.
Could I use außer dass instead of nur dass in this sentence?
Yes, they are usually interchangeable when expressing a restrictive exception like 'except that'. Both work perfectly here, though nur dass often has a slightly more conversational tone, similar to saying 'the only thing was...' in English to introduce a minor limitation to an otherwise great situation.
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