Breakdown of Сначала я был в растерянности.
я
I
в
in / to (direction)
быть
to be
сначала
first
растерянность
bewilderment / confusion
Questions & Answers about Сначала я был в растерянности.
Why use в растерянности (in bewilderment) instead of an adjective like растерянный (bewildered)?
While you can say я был растерян, Russian frequently uses the preposition в plus the Prepositional case to describe being fully immersed in a psychological or emotional state. It is similar to saying 'I was in a state of confusion' in English and sounds very natural.
Why does the prepositional ending for растерянности end in -и instead of the usual -е?
The dictionary form is растерянность, which is a feminine noun ending in a soft sign (-ь). Feminine nouns in this category (often called the 3rd declension) take an -и ending in the Prepositional, Dative, and Genitive cases.
Could I use вначале instead of сначала in this sentence?
Yes, they are almost perfectly interchangeable here. Both mean 'at first' or 'initially.' Сначала is slightly preferred when you are setting up a contrast with something that happened later (for example: 'At first I was bewildered, but then I understood').
How does the root of растерянность help explain its meaning?
It is built around the root from терять (to lose). With the prefix рас- indicating spreading out or scattering, the literal feeling is being 'scattered' or having lost your mental bearings, which perfectly translates to bewilderment or confusion.
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