astonished
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astonished
Being very surprised, amazed, or speechless, often because something unexpected has happened.
Ich war völlig verblüfft, als sie plötzlich vor der Tür stand.
I was completely astonished when she suddenly appeared at the door.
'Verblüfft' (astonished) is the past participle of the verb 'verblüffen' (to astonish) and is usually used like an adjective. The prefix 'ver-' often indicates a change of state here: you move from a state of not knowing to a state of amazement.
Sein Trick hat das Publikum völlig verblüfft.
His trick completely astonished the audience.
You can express the reason for the amazement with 'über' (+ accusative) or with a subordinate clause using 'dass' (that) or 'als' (when).
Die Wissenschaftler waren verblüfft über die Ergebnisse des Experiments.
The scientists were astonished by the results of the experiment.
To emphasize strong amazement, 'verblüfft' (astonished) is often combined with adverbs such as 'völlig' (completely), 'total' (totally), or 'sichtlich' (visibly). It can also be used as an adverb itself.
Er sah mich verblüfft an, als ich ihm die Neuigkeit erzählte.
He looked at me in astonishment when I told him the news.
speechless / stunned
Both words describe a very strong reaction to something unexpected. „Verblüfft“ mainly emphasizes surprise or astonishment, while „fassungslos“ usually also expresses shock, horror, or dismay. So „verblüfft“ is more suitable for surprising but non-shocking news.
Nach der unerwarteten Nachricht über den Gewinn stand sie verblüfft im Flur und wusste nicht, was sie sagen sollte.
After the unexpected news that she had won, she stood astonished in the hallway and did not know what to say.
Nach der schockierenden Nachricht stand sie fassungslos im Flur und wusste nicht, was sie sagen sollte.
After the shocking news, she stood speechless in the hallway and did not know what to say.
