Learn Hardcore German: Was für ein Tag, und trotzdem bleiben wir ruhig.

It’s the exclamatory pattern meaning “What a [noun]!” So Was für ein Tag! = “What a day!” The same words can also form a real question meaning “What kind of [noun]?” as in: Was für ein Auto fährst du? = “What kind of car do you drive?”

Why is there no verb in Was für ein Tag? Is that a complete sentence?

Yes—it’s a common elliptical exclamation. The verb is understood: roughly “(Das ist/war) was für ein Tag!” In writing, you’ll most often see it as a standalone exclamation: Was für ein Tag!

Which case is ein here? Could it be einen?

In the standalone exclamation, it’s nominative masculine singular: Was für ein Tag! If you integrate it into a full sentence where the noun is the object, you use the required case: Was für einen Tag wir hatten! (accusative). Feminine/neuter follow the same rule: Was für eine Idee!, Was für ein Problem!

How would this change with different genders, number, or adjectives?

Feminine: Was für eine Idee!
Neuter: Was für ein Problem!
Plural (no article): Was für Leute!
With an adjective: Was für ein langer Tag! (adjective comes right before the noun)

Is the comma before und trotzdem okay? Wouldn’t an exclamation mark be better?

It’s acceptable, but many writers would prefer: Was für ein Tag! Und trotzdem bleiben wir ruhig. A dash also works for style: Was für ein Tag — und trotzdem bleiben wir ruhig. The comma version is readable but less common than splitting it into two sentences.

What exactly is trotzdem, and why does the verb come before wir in trotzdem bleiben wir?

trotzdem is a conjunctive adverb meaning “nevertheless/and yet.” German main clauses are verb-second: if you put trotzdem first, the finite verb must be second, so: trotzdem bleiben wir ruhig. With the coordinator und, this stays the same: … und trotzdem bleiben wir ruhig (not: “… und trotzdem wir bleiben …”).

Can I move trotzdem or drop und?

Yes. All of these are correct, with slightly different emphasis:

Trotzdem bleiben wir ruhig.
Wir bleiben trotzdem ruhig.
Was für ein Tag! Trotzdem bleiben wir ruhig. Using und just ties it more closely to the previous thought.

Could I use aber instead of und trotzdem?

Yes, but the nuance changes a bit:

… aber wir bleiben ruhig. (simple contrast)
… und trotzdem/dennoch/doch bleiben wir ruhig. (concession: “despite that, surprisingly…”) With aber, word order is normal: wir bleiben, not bleiben wir.

Is trotzdem one word? How is it different from trotz?

trotzdem is one word and means “nevertheless/anyway.”
trotz is a preposition meaning “despite,” usually with the genitive: trotz des Lärms (“despite the noise”). You’ll also see dative in speech: trotz dem Lärm (less formal).
Don’t write trotz dem when you mean trotzdem.

Why bleiben instead of sein?

bleiben ruhig = “to stay/remain calm,” emphasizing that you maintain calm despite circumstances—perfect with trotzdem. sein ruhig just describes the state (“are calm”) without the “keeping it up” nuance. Both are possible; here bleiben is the natural choice.

Why isn’t ruhig inflected (not ruhige/ruhigen)?

After verbs like sein, werden, bleiben, adjectives are predicate complements and remain uninflected: wir sind/werden/bleiben ruhig. Inflected forms appear only when the adjective directly modifies a noun: ein ruhiger Tag.

Does ruhig mean “quiet” or “calm”?

Both, depending on context. Here it means “calm.” For “quiet” in the sense of “not loud,” leise is clearer:

Bleib ruhig. = Stay calm.
Bleib leise. = Stay quiet (don’t make noise).

How do you pronounce the tricky words here?

ruhig: commonly [ˈʁuːɪç]; regional variants [ˈʁuːɡ]/[ˈʁuːɪk] exist.
trotzdem: [ˈtʁɔtsdeːm].
Tag: [taːk] (final g devoiced to [k]).

Can the present tense here also mean “we will stay calm”?

Yes. German present covers simple and progressive senses, and can indicate near future from context. For explicit future, use wir werden ruhig bleiben.

Is Welch ein Tag! or Was ein Tag! also possible?

Welch ein Tag! is correct but sounds elevated/literary.
Was ein Tag! occurs colloquially (influenced by English) but is non‑standard in careful writing. Was für ein Tag! is the safe, standard choice.

Any capitalization tips in this sentence?

Nouns like Tag are capitalized.
Adjectives used predicatively (ruhig) are lowercase.
trotzdem is lowercase.
Was is capitalized here because it starts the sentence (otherwise it’s lowercase).