انا ماكانش معايا فكة، فدفعت بالكارت.

Not strictly. You can say ماكانش معايا فكة، فدفعت بالكارت and it still sounds natural.

Adding أنا does one of two things:

• it makes the subject extra clear
• it gives a little emphasis, like as for me or I personally

So in everyday speech, both versions are fine.

ماكانش is the negative form of كان in Egyptian Arabic.

It is built like this:

• ما
  • كان
    • ش → ماكانش

This ma-...-sh pattern is one of the most common ways to negate verbs in Egyptian Arabic. Here, ماكانش means something like wasn't or there wasn't.

So ماكانش معايا فكة is literally close to there wasn't change with me.

Because this sentence is not really structured like I wasn't. It is closer to an impersonal idea: there wasn't any change with me.

In this kind of possessive/existential sentence, Egyptian very often uses كان / ماكانش in a default, idiomatic way. So ماكانش معايا فكة is a very natural everyday way to say I didn't have any change on me.

In other words, the logic is:

• not I wasn't...
• but there wasn't... with me

معايا literally means with me.

Egyptian Arabic often uses with me to express possession, especially for things you have on you at that moment. So:

• معايا فلوس = I have money on me
• معايا فكة = I have change on me

That is why ماكانش معايا فكة works so naturally.

Yes. ماكانش عندي فكة is also understandable and natural.

The difference is mainly nuance:

• معايا often suggests with me / on me right now
• عندي is more general, like I have

Since this sentence is about paying at that moment, معايا is especially appropriate, because it suggests the speaker did not have change on them right then.

فكة means small change.

It usually refers to:

• coins
• small bills
• money that can be used to give exact change

It does not just mean money in general. If someone says معاك فكة؟, they are asking whether you have change, not whether you have money at all.

This فـ means so, then, or therefore.

So:

• فدفعت = so I paid

In Arabic writing, this فـ is often attached directly to the next word. It shows a result or consequence:

• I didn't have change,
• so I paid by card.

The preposition بـ here marks the means or instrument, like with or by in English.

So:

• دفعت بالكارت = I paid by card / I paid with a card

This is very common in Egyptian Arabic:

• بالكاش = in cash / with cash
• بالفيزا = by card
• بالعربية = by car

Literally, yes, it contains the definite article الـ. But in natural Arabic, that does not always mean one specific card already mentioned.

In many everyday expressions, Arabic uses the definite article where English would not. So بالكارت simply means by card as a payment method. It sounds normal and idiomatic.

Yes. كارت is a very common colloquial loanword meaning card.

In more formal Arabic, you might see بطاقة. But in everyday Egyptian speech, كارت is usually the more natural choice in this context.

You may also hear:

• فيزا for a bank card, often even if the actual brand is not Visa
• بطاقة بنكية in more formal language

Because the object is understood from context.

Just like in English you can say I paid by card without saying I paid the bill by card, Egyptian Arabic can also leave the thing being paid for unstated if it is obvious.

So دفعت بالكارت is complete and natural on its own.

A helpful pronunciation is:

ana makānish maʿāya fakka, fa-dafaʿt bil-kārt

A few notes:

• معايا is maʿāya, with the sound ع
• فكة is pronounced roughly fakka, with a doubled k
• بالكارت is bil-kārt
• فـ in فدفعت is a short fa-, meaning so

In fast speech, the sentence may sound a bit more connected and smooth, but this pronunciation is a good learning model.