Learn Hardcore German: Ich bin ziemlich müde, aber ich komme trotzdem. - I am quite tired, but I am coming anyway.

Because aber is a coordinating conjunction linking two independent clauses. In German, you must place a comma before coordinating conjunctions like aber, denn, and sondern when they join full clauses:

Ich bin ziemlich müde, aber ich komme trotzdem. No comma is used when aber links just parts of a clause (and not two full clauses), e.g. langsam aber sicher—though some writers add an optional comma for emphasis in such short phrases.

Does trotzdem change the word order?

No. Trotzdem is a sentence adverb, not a subordinating conjunction. The clause after it still has verb-second (V2) word order:

End position: ..., aber ich komme trotzdem. (subject first, verb second)
Fronted: Trotzdem komme ich. (adverb first, verb second, subject after the verb) What you must not do is treat trotzdem like a subordinator: trotzdem ich komme is wrong.

Is using both aber and trotzdem redundant or wrong?

It’s acceptable and very common in everyday German. Aber marks contrast (“but”), while trotzdem adds the concessive idea (“despite that/anyway”). Some style guides prefer avoiding the “double marking” in formal writing, but in speech and neutral prose ..., aber ich komme trotzdem is fine and natural.

Could I use obwohl instead of aber ... trotzdem?

Yes. Obwohl introduces a subordinate clause and moves the finite verb to the end of that clause:

Obwohl ich ziemlich müde bin, komme ich. This means the same thing. Using both together—Obwohl ich ziemlich müde bin, komme ich trotzdem—is often felt as redundant in careful writing, though you will hear it in speech for emphasis.

Where can I place trotzdem in this sentence?

Common, correct options:

End of the clause: ..., aber ich komme trotzdem.
Immediately after aber (with inversion): ..., aber trotzdem komme ich.
Start a new sentence: Ich bin ziemlich müde. Trotzdem komme ich. All keep verb-second word order in the clause that contains the finite verb.

Is trotzdem one word? What about trotz dem?

trotzdem (one word) = “nevertheless/anyway,” a sentence adverb.
trotz dem is only valid when trotz is a preposition meaning “despite,” followed by a dative article or pronoun: trotz dem Regen (“despite the rain”). Don’t confuse this with the adverb trotzdem.

Why is it present tense (ich komme) if the meaning is future (“I’ll come”)?

German often uses the present tense to talk about near-future plans or scheduled actions, especially when the context makes the time clear:

Ich komme trotzdem. = “I’m coming/I’ll come anyway.” You can use werden for emphasis or clarity, but it’s not required here:
Ich werde trotzdem kommen.

Should I say kommen or mitkommen?

Both are possible, but they differ slightly:

kommen = to come (to where the listener or event is). Neutral.
mitkommen = to come along (to accompany someone). If the context is “I’ll come along (with you guys),” mitkommen emphasizes accompanying: ..., aber ich komme trotzdem mit.

Should it be kommen or gehen?

German distinguishes motion relative to the speaker/listener:

kommen = move toward the speaker/listener or event location.
gehen = go (not necessarily toward the interlocutor). If you’re telling someone at the event that you’ll attend, ich komme is the natural choice. If you’re speaking to someone not at the destination, ich gehe can be fine in context.

What does ziemlich mean here? How is it different from sehr?

ziemlich ≈ “quite/pretty/fairly.” It’s strong but often a notch below sehr.
sehr = “very,” a stronger intensifier. So ziemlich müde = “quite tired,” while sehr müde = “very tired.” Other near-synonyms: recht müde (fairly), ganz schön müde (pretty darn tired, colloquial).

Why is it müde and not müden?

Because müde is used predicatively after sein (to be). Predicative adjectives in German are not declined:

Ich bin müde. Adjectives are declined only when used attributively before a noun:
ein müder Mann (a tired man), eine müde Frau (a tired woman).

Can I say aber ich komme doch instead of aber ich komme trotzdem?

You can, but the nuance shifts:

trotzdem = “nevertheless/anyway,” explicitly concessive despite an obstacle.
doch (modal particle/adverb) often signals contradiction or reassurance: “but I am coming after all.” Both can fit, but trotzdem more clearly conveys “despite being tired.” doch may sound more like you’re countering someone’s doubt.

Can I replace aber/trotzdem with jedoch or dennoch?

dennoch ≈ synonym of trotzdem, but a bit more formal: Ich bin ziemlich müde; dennoch komme ich.
jedoch ≈ “however,” more contrastive than concessive: Ich bin ziemlich müde; ich komme jedoch. It doesn’t by itself express “despite that” as clearly as trotzdem/dennoch. Word order stays V2 with both.

How do I pronounce the tricky sounds (ich, müde, trotzdem)?

ich: the ch is the “ich-sound” [ç], like a soft hiss, not like English “k.”
müde: ü is a front-rounded vowel [yː] (shape lips as for “oo,” tongue as for “ee”); final -e is a schwa [ə].
trotzdem: z = [ts]; stress mainly on the first syllable: TROTZ-dèm. Overall: [ɪç bɪn ˈtsiːmlɪç ˈmyːdə | ˈaːbɐ ɪç ˈkɔmə ˈtʁɔtsdeːm] (approximate).

Why is the second ich lowercase?

In German, the pronoun ich is normally lowercase. It’s capitalized only at the beginning of a sentence: Ich bin …, aber ich komme …. (This is the opposite of English, where “I” is always uppercase.)

Can I drop the second ich and say ..., aber komme trotzdem?

Generally no. German usually requires an explicit subject in each finite clause. You could omit it only in very informal, elliptical speech or notes. The standard form is ..., aber ich komme trotzdem.