Learn Hardcore German: Wir haben den Bus verpasst; immerhin kommt der nächste Bus bald. - We missed the bus; at least the next bus is coming soon.

Because verpassen is a transitive verb that takes a direct object (den Bus). In the Perfekt, transitive verbs almost always use haben. Sein is used mostly with intransitives of motion or change of state (e.g., Wir sind gefahren, Er ist eingeschlafen), not with verpassen.

Why den Bus instead of der Bus?

Den Bus is accusative masculine singular, the case for the direct object of verpassen. Der Bus would be nominative (the subject). Example: Der Bus kommt. but Wir haben den Bus verpasst.

Is verpassen the right verb for “to miss a bus”? How is it different from similar verbs?

Yes. Verpassen = miss (bus, train, opportunity, deadline). Verfehlen = miss a target/goal (das Ziel verfehlen). Vermissen = miss someone/something emotionally (Ich vermisse dich). Fehlen = be lacking/absent (Mir fehlt Zeit).

What does immerhin convey here, and how does it differ from wenigstens or zumindest?

Immerhin highlights a consoling upside—“after all / at least that’s something.” Wenigstens stresses a minimal acceptable outcome and can sound more grudging. Zumindest sets a lower bound (“at least, if nothing else”) and is neutral-formal. All three fit here; immerhin sounds more upbeat.

Why is the verb kommt in second position after immerhin?

German main clauses are verb-second. Putting immerhin first occupies the first position (Vorfeld), so the finite verb kommt must come next, then the subject: Immerhin kommt der nächste Bus bald. Immerhin der nächste Bus kommt bald is ungrammatical.

Can I move bald or der nächste Bus around? Does it change the emphasis?

Yes:

Immerhin kommt der nächste Bus bald. (neutral)
Immerhin kommt bald der nächste Bus. (emphasizes “soon” first)
Der nächste Bus kommt immerhin bald. (keeps the bus as topic; immerhin as a comment) All are correct; choose based on focus.

Why is it der nächste Bus and not der nächster Bus?

After a definite article (der/die/das), adjectives take the weak ending -e in nominative singular: der nächste Bus. You see -er (strong) when there’s no article: Nächster Bus um 10 Uhr (on signs), or after ein/kein (mixed endings): ein nächster Schritt.

Why do I sometimes see nächsten instead of nächste?

Case matters. Accusative masculine adds -en: Wir nehmen den nächsten Bus. Dative masculine/neuter also uses -en: mit dem nächsten Bus. In the sentence, der nächste Bus is nominative (subject of kommt).

What’s the function of the semicolon here? Could I use a comma or a period instead?

The semicolon links two closely related main clauses with a stronger break than a comma and a lighter break than a period. You could also write Wir haben den Bus verpasst, immerhin kommt der nächste Bus bald. or Wir haben den Bus verpasst. Immerhin kommt der nächste Bus bald. A period is very common; the semicolon feels a bit more formal.

Why is Bus capitalized but nächste is not?

All nouns are capitalized in German: der Bus. Adjectives before nouns are lower-case: der nächste Bus. An adjective is capitalized only when nominalized, e.g., das Nächste.

Does bald mean the same as gleich here?

Both mean “soon,” but gleich suggests “right away/very soon,” while bald is vaguer. Der Bus kommt gleich = imminent; Der Bus kommt bald = soon, unspecified. A formal alternative is in Kürze.

Could I use the simple past: Wir verpassten den Bus?

Grammatically yes. The Präteritum (verpassten) is more typical in written narrative or northern German speech. In everyday conversation elsewhere, the Perfekt (Wir haben den Bus verpasst) sounds more natural.

Why is verpasst spelled with ss and not ß?

Since the 1996 reform, ß follows long vowels or diphthongs; ss follows short vowels. The vowel in verpassen is short, so the participle is verpasst (not verpaßt).

Can immerhin appear later in the clause, like Der nächste Bus kommt immerhin bald?

Yes. Mid-clause immerhin acts more like a modal particle commenting on the statement. Initial Immerhin … makes the consoling contrast more prominent.

How do you pronounce the tricky parts?

verpasst: [fɛɐ̯ˈpast] (short a; final -st)
immerhin: [ˌɪmɐˈhɪn] (stress on final syllable)
nächste: [ˈnɛçstə] (soft ch as in German ich; short ä ~ English “e” in “bet”)
Bus: [bʊs] (short u) Note: In nächste, the st is [st] (not [ʃt]) in standard German.

Can I combine aber and immerhin?

Yes: Wir haben den Bus verpasst, aber immerhin kommt der nächste Bus bald. Aber marks the contrast explicitly; immerhin adds the consoling “at least” nuance.