Learn Hardcore German: Allerdings möchten wir zumindest kurz ins Schwimmbad gehen. - However, we want to at least go to the swimming pool briefly.

German main clauses are verb-second (V2). Putting Allerdings in first position pushes the finite verb (möchten) into slot 2, and the subject (wir) comes after it:

First position: Allerdings
Second (finite verb): möchten
Then subject and the rest: wir … gehen

Without a connector up front, you’d say: Wir möchten …

What does Allerdings do here, and how is it different from aber or jedoch?

Here Allerdings means “however/nevertheless,” introducing a reservation or contrast. Nuance:

aber = the most neutral, very common in speech.
jedoch = more formal/literary.
allerdings = slightly formal and “stance-taking”; it can also mean “indeed/certainly” in other contexts (e.g., Das ist allerdings schwierig. = “That is indeed difficult.”).

At sentence start, all three trigger V2 word order.

Why is there no "zu" before gehen after möchten?

German modal verbs take a bare infinitive (no zu):

möchten/können/müssen/sollen/wollen/dürfen
- bare infinitive Example: Wir möchten gehen., Sie kann schwimmen. So: möchten … gehen, not “möchten … zu gehen.”

Is möchten the same as wollen?

Both express wanting, but:

möchten (Konjunktiv II of mögen) is softer/politer: “would like.”
wollen is stronger and can feel blunt if used to request something. Examples:
Wir möchten … = we’d like to …
Wir wollen … = we want to …

Conjugation of möchten: ich möchte, du möchtest, er/sie/es möchte, wir möchten, ihr möchtet, sie/Sie möchten.

What exactly is ins?

A contraction of in das (into the). You use in + accusative for movement into something:

ins Schwimmbad = into the swimming pool (building/area) Compare:
im Schwimmbad = in the swimming pool (location; contraction of in dem, dative)

Why is it accusative here (ins), not dative?

With two-way prepositions like in, use:

Accusative for movement toward/into: ins Schwimmbad (gehen).
Dative for location/rest: im Schwimmbad (sein).

This sentence expresses movement (going there), so accusative is required.

Could I say zum Schwimmbad instead of ins Schwimmbad?

Yes, but nuance differs:

ins Schwimmbad (gehen) = going into the pool complex (focus on entering).
zum Schwimmbad (gehen) = going to the pool (to its vicinity/entrance); in practice, often similar. Grammatically: zu + dative → zum = zu dem.

What does zumindest mean here, compared to mindestens and wenigstens?

zumindest = “at least” in the sense of a lower expectation or concession (“if nothing else”). Scope can be over a phrase or the whole clause.
wenigstens = “at least” as consolation/minimum satisfaction.
mindestens = “at least” numerically/quantitatively. Examples:
Wir möchten zumindest kurz gehen. (If nothing else, briefly.)
Wir sind wenigstens gegangen. (At least we went.)
Das dauert mindestens 30 Minuten. (Numeric lower bound.)

Does zumindest modify only kurz or the whole sentence?

As placed, it most naturally takes scope over kurz (“at least briefly”). You can shift scope by moving it:

Whole-clause focus: Wir möchten zumindest ins Schwimmbad gehen.
Focus on place: Wir möchten kurz zumindest ins Schwimmbad gehen. (less common) Your version strongly suggests “at least for a short time.”

What does kurz mean here? Is it “quickly” or “briefly”?

Here kurz means “briefly/for a short while,” not “quickly.” It’s about duration, not speed. You could paraphrase as für kurze Zeit. Colloquially, kurz mal is common: … zumindest kurz mal ins Schwimmbad gehen.

Is the adverb order correct in zumindest kurz ins Schwimmbad?

Yes. A typical order is time → manner → place (often remembered as TeKaMoLo for temporal–causal–modal–local). Here:

kurz = temporal duration
ins Schwimmbad = place
zumindest is a focus particle that usually precedes what it scopes over. So: … zumindest kurz ins Schwimmbad … is natural.

Can I move Allerdings into the middle of the sentence?

Yes: Wir möchten allerdings zumindest kurz ins Schwimmbad gehen. Sentence-initial Allerdings feels slightly more contrastive or formal; mid-field placement is very common in speech.

Why is there no comma after Allerdings?

German doesn’t place a comma after a single sentence-initial connector like Allerdings, aber, or jedoch. Commas are for clause boundaries or certain lists/insertions, not for a simple “However,”-style pause.

What is the gender and plural of Schwimmbad?

Gender: neuter — das Schwimmbad
Plural: die Schwimmbäder Related forms: im Schwimmbad (in the pool), ins Schwimmbad (into the pool).

How would I say “go swimming” instead of “go to the pool”?

Use schwimmen gehen:

Allerdings möchten wir zumindest kurz schwimmen gehen. This focuses on the activity, not the location. You can swim in a lake, sea, etc., whereas ins Schwimmbad gehen specifies the pool.

Is there a more casual way to phrase the whole sentence?

Yes, for instance:

Aber wir wollen wenigstens kurz ins Schwimmbad (gehen).
Wir würden gern zumindest kurz ins Schwimmbad gehen. Note: wollen is stronger; würden gern and möchten are softer.

How would I put this in the past or with a time expression?

Simple past desire: Wir wollten zumindest kurz ins Schwimmbad gehen.
With time: Allerdings möchten wir heute/gleich/morgen zumindest kurz ins Schwimmbad gehen.
Completed action (different meaning): Wir sind gestern kurz ins Schwimmbad gegangen.

Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts?

Allerdings: stress toward the end [al‑ler‑DINGS].
möchten: ö is fronted (like British “nurse” but rounded); ch here is the soft [ç], not .
Schwimmbad: initial Schw ≈ “shv,” and final -bad has a long “a.”