Learn Hardcore German: Das Schwimmbad ist heute offen, allerdings habe ich wenig Zeit. - The swimming pool is open today; however, I have little time.

Because Schwimmbad is neuter. It’s a compound of schwimmen + Bad; the head noun Bad is neuter (das Bad), so the whole compound is neuter: das Schwimmbad. Plural: die Schwimmbäder (umlaut + -er), as with many neuter nouns.

What’s the difference between offen, geöffnet, and hat geöffnet?

ist offen = is open. Everyday, neutral, used for doors and for businesses.
ist geöffnet = is open. Slightly more formal/official, common on signs.
hat geöffnet = is open (idiomatic; not a true English-style present perfect). Very common: Heute hat das Schwimmbad geöffnet.
Related:
- öffnet um 9 Uhr = opens at 9.
- Colloquial: hat auf / ist auf for shops: Der Laden hat noch auf. For a pool, stick to offen/geöffnet in standard usage.
- For doors, offen is preferred: Die Tür ist offen (vs. more formal geöffnet).

Can I move heute to the front: Heute ist das Schwimmbad offen?

Yes. German main clauses are verb‑second, so fronting heute is fine and common: Heute ist das Schwimmbad offen.

Why is it ist heute offen and not ist offen heute?

The default order for adverbials is often time before other elements, and predicate adjectives like offen typically come after time adverbs. Das Schwimmbad ist heute offen sounds natural. … ist offen heute is possible only for special emphasis or in some colloquial/dialectal styles and is not the neutral choice.

Why is there a comma before allerdings?

Because you’re separating two independent main clauses. Allerdings is not a conjunction that links clauses; it’s a sentence adverb. You could also write a period or semicolon:

Das Schwimmbad ist heute offen. Allerdings habe ich wenig Zeit.
Das Schwimmbad ist heute offen; allerdings habe ich wenig Zeit.

Why is it allerdings habe ich and not allerdings ich habe?

German main clauses are verb‑second. When allerdings stands at the beginning, it takes the first position, so the finite verb (habe) must come next: Allerdings habe ich … If you place allerdings inside the clause, you keep normal order: Ich habe allerdings wenig Zeit.

Can I use aber or doch instead of allerdings?

aber is the most common “but”: …, aber ich habe wenig Zeit. (no inversion after aber)
doch (as a coordinating conjunction) is a bit more formal/literary: …, doch ich habe wenig Zeit.
allerdings is a sentence adverb meaning “however,” often a touch more formal than aber, and it triggers inversion when placed first: …, allerdings habe ich …
All three express contrast; aber is the safest everyday choice.

Could I use trotzdem here?

Usually no. trotzdem means “nevertheless/in spite of that,” implying an expectation is being defied. Saying Das Schwimmbad ist heute offen, trotzdem habe ich wenig Zeit suggests that the pool’s being open would normally give you time, which doesn’t logically follow. Use allerdings (however) to simply add a contrasting fact without a “despite” nuance.

What’s the nuance difference between wenig Zeit, nicht viel Zeit, kaum Zeit, and keine Zeit?

wenig Zeit = little time; scarce.
nicht viel Zeit = not much time; a bit softer/hedged than wenig.
kaum Zeit = hardly any time; even stronger than wenig.
keine Zeit = no time at all. Add nur to stress limitation: Ich habe nur wenig Zeit.
Note: viel Zeit = a lot of time; never say viele Zeit (that’s wrong—viele goes with countable plurals like viele Leute).

Why is there no article in ich habe wenig Zeit?

Because Zeit is an uncountable noun here, and with quantifiers like wenig/viel/kaum you normally omit the article: wenig Zeit, viel Zeit.
Use the article to refer to a specific, known time: Ich habe die Zeit dafür (= I have the time for that). Other idiomatic options: Ich habe etwas/ein bisschen Zeit.

Does wenig decline in this phrase?

With uncountables like Zeit, wenig usually stays uninflected:

Nominative/Accusative: wenig Zeit
Dative: mit wenig Zeit
A very formal/old-fashioned dative is possible (mit wenigem Geld), but you’ll almost never need it in everyday speech. With countable plurals, you’ll see endings: wenige Leute, mit wenigen Leuten. Comparative/superlative: weniger Zeit, am wenigsten Zeit.

Are there other common words for Schwimmbad?

Yes, with nuances:

das Hallenbad = indoor pool
das Freibad = outdoor public pool
das Schwimmbecken = the pool basin (the actual water area)
der Pool / der Swimmingpool = pool (often private or hotel) Use das Schwimmbad for the public swimming facility in general.

Is Das Schwimmbad ist heute auf acceptable?

Regionally/colloquially, people say Der Laden hat auf/ist auf for “the shop is open.” For a pool, standard German prefers offen/geöffnet: Das Schwimmbad ist heute offen or … ist heute geöffnet. In careful or formal usage, avoid ist auf for facilities.

Any quick pronunciation and capitalization tips for these words?

Pronunciation (approx.):
- Schwimmbad [SHVIMM-baht] (short i in Schwimm-, long a in -bad)
- allerdings [AHL-er-dings]
- heute [HOY-teh]
- Zeit [tsite]
- wenig [VAY-nikh]
Capitalization: All nouns are capitalized (das Schwimmbad, Zeit). Adverbs like heute and allerdings are lowercase unless starting a new sentence.