Learn Hardcore German: Momentan hat meine Schwester viel zu tun, trotzdem bleiben wir gelassen. - At the moment my sister has a lot to do, nevertheless we stay calm.

German main clauses obey the verb-second rule (V2). trotzdem is a conjunctive adverb that can sit in first position. The finite verb must still be in second position, so the subject moves after it: Trotzdem bleiben wir gelassen. Without fronting, you can say Wir bleiben trotzdem gelassen.

Is the comma before trotzdem required?

Yes. You have two independent main clauses joined without a coordinating conjunction. trotzdem is an adverb, not a conjunction, so a comma between the clauses is mandatory: …, trotzdem …. A semicolon or dash would also be fine: …; trotzdem … / — trotzdem …. If you add a coordinator, e.g., … und trotzdem …, the comma before und is usually omitted (it’s optional for clarity).

Could I use obwohl instead of trotzdem?

Yes, but the structure changes to a subordinate clause with verb-final word order:

Obwohl meine Schwester momentan viel zu tun hat, bleiben wir gelassen. Don’t write trotzdem wir …—trotzdem does not introduce a subordinate clause.

Where else can I place trotzdem?

Initial for emphasis: Trotzdem bleiben wir gelassen.
Midfield (very common): Wir bleiben trotzdem gelassen. End-position is unusual; stick to initial or midfield.

Why is it Momentan hat … and not Momentan meine Schwester hat …?

Because of V2. When you front Momentan (a time adverb), the finite verb must be second: Momentan hat …. The subject (meine Schwester) follows the verb. You can also say Meine Schwester hat momentan …—both are correct; they differ only in emphasis.

Can I swap momentan for other “currently” words? Are there nuances?

Yes:

zurzeit (neutral), derzeit (a bit more formal), im Moment (colloquial), momentan (neutral–colloquial), gerade (right now, this very moment). Avoid using aktuell to mean “currently” in general statements; it often means “topical” or “up-to-date.”

Why is it viel and not viele?

Use viel with uncountable mass or an unspecified amount: viel zu tun, viel Arbeit. Use viele with countable plural nouns: viele Aufgaben, viele Termine. Here the idea is “a lot to do” (uncountable), so viel is correct.

What exactly does the phrase viel zu tun haben mean?

It’s an idiomatic way to say “to be busy” or “to have a lot to do”: Ich habe viel zu tun. Variations:

Heute habe ich nichts/etwas/einiges zu tun. Don’t confuse it with mit etwas zu tun haben (“to have to do with something”): Das hat damit nichts zu tun.

Could I say viel Arbeit zu tun haben?

You’ll hear it, but it’s a bit redundant. Prefer either:

viel zu tun haben (idiomatic and concise), or
viel Arbeit haben / viele Aufgaben haben (if you want to mention the noun).

What case is meine Schwester, and why is it meine, not meiner?

meine Schwester is the subject in the first clause, so it’s nominative feminine singular: meine. Forms like meiner Schwester would be genitive or dative and would require a different role (e.g., after a preposition like mit: mit meiner Schwester).

Why does gelassen have no ending here?

After linking verbs like sein, werden, bleiben, adjectives are used predicatively and take no endings: Wir bleiben gelassen., Sie ist müde. With a noun (attributive), you add endings: eine gelassene Person.

Is gelassen the same word as the past participle of lassen?

Spelling is the same, but usage differs. Here gelassen is an adjective meaning “calm/composed.” As a participle, it appears in verb phrases: Er hat mich stehen gelassen. Context tells you which is meant.

How does gelassen differ from ruhig, entspannt, locker, and lässig?

gelassen: composed, unruffled in the face of stress.
ruhig: quiet/calm (opposite of agitated or noisy).
entspannt: relaxed (no tension).
locker: laid-back, easygoing; can also mean “loose.”
lässig: casual; can imply “sloppy” in some contexts. Here gelassen highlights composure despite busyness.

Who is included in wir here?

Likely the speaker and the sister, but wir could also mean the speaker plus others (e.g., family, team). Switching subjects across clauses is normal in German; context clarifies who wir refers to.

Can I rephrase with trotz?

Yes, using the preposition trotz with the genitive:

Trotz der vielen Arbeit bleiben wir gelassen. Colloquially, some use dative (trotz der vielen Arbeit is both genitive and dative in form here; with other nouns you might hear dative), but standard is genitive.

Are there other natural connectors besides trotzdem?

Yes:

dennoch (formal-ish): …, dennoch bleiben wir gelassen.
aber (coordinating conjunction): …, aber wir bleiben gelassen.
und trotzdem (common, a bit emphatic): …, und trotzdem bleiben wir gelassen. (Comma before und usually omitted.)

Why is Momentan capitalized?

Because it’s sentence-initial. As an adverb, it’s normally lowercase: Wir haben momentan viel zu tun.