Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Reggel általában egy csésze kávét iszom a kávézóban. - In the morning I usually drink a cup of coffee in the café.

Both occur in speech, but iszom is the standard 1st person singular form. Iszok is very common colloquially; many speakers use it in everyday conversation, but in careful or written Hungarian, prefer iszom.

Is the verb definite or indefinite here, and how would it change with a definite object?

The verb is in the indefinite conjugation because the object (egy csésze kávét) is indefinite. With this particular verb, 1st person singular looks the same in definite and indefinite: iszom. The difference shows up clearly in other persons:

2sg indefinite: iszol kávét; 2sg definite: iszod a kávét.
3sg indefinite: iszik kávét; 3sg definite: issza a kávét.

Why is it egy csésze kávét and not egy csészét kávé?

In “measure/container + content” expressions, Hungarian puts the case ending on the content, not the container, because the content is the semantic object:

egy pohár vizet
két üveg bort
három tányér levest So here: egy csésze kávét. Saying egy csészét would (literally) mean drinking the cup, or at best refer to “a cupful” elliptically, which is not what you want.

Is the object-before-verb order (egy csésze kávét iszom) special?

Yes: the element immediately before the verb is the focus in Hungarian. Egy csésze kávét iszom puts focus on the quantity/thing (“one cup of coffee” rather than, say, tea or two cups). A more neutral version is:

Iszom egy csésze kávét. Both are correct; your sentence sounds natural as a habitual statement that highlights the usual amount.

Can I say Általában reggel instead of Reggel általában?

Yes. Both are natural:

Reggel általában … (time first)
Általában reggel … (frequency first) The adverb általában typically sits in the pre-verbal field, but time expressions like reggel also like to appear early. Choose based on what you want to highlight first.

Why no article with Reggel? Could I say A reggel?

Reggel functions as a time adverb (“in the morning”), so no article is used. A reggel treats it as a noun (“the morning”), e.g., A reggel hideg volt (“The morning was cold”). For habitual time, you can also use:

Reggelente = “in the mornings, usually”
Minden reggel = “every morning”

What’s the difference between kávézóban and kávézóba?

It’s the inessive vs. illative:

kávézóban = “in the café” (location, static)
kávézóba = “into the café” (movement toward) Your sentence describes where you drink (static), so kávézóban is correct.

Why is it -ban (kávézóban) and not -ben?

Vowel harmony. If a word has any back vowels (a, á, o, ó, u, ú), you use back-vowel suffixes like -ban; if it has only front vowels (e, é, i, í, ö, ő, ü, ű), you use -ben. Kávézó contains back vowels á, ó, so kávézóban. Compare: üzletben (only front vowels).

Why is there an article before kávézóban? Could I use egy or no article?

a kávézóban = “in the café” (a specific, familiar one—e.g., your usual place).
egy kávézóban = “in a café” (non-specific). Zero article (kávézóban) is possible in some generic or institutional contexts, but with cafés it’s more natural to use a or egy to signal specificity.

Why is the subject pronoun (Én) missing?

Hungarian is pro-drop. The verb ending already encodes the subject, so én is omitted unless you want emphasis or contrast:

Neutral: … iszom …
Emphatic: Én reggel általában … iszom … (“I, as opposed to others, …”)

Could I use the prefix meg- (megiszom) here?

You can, but it changes the nuance to completed action (“drink up/finish”):

Habitual but completive: Reggel általában megiszom egy csésze kávét. If something else is in focus before the verb, the prefix splits and moves after the verb:
Egy csésze kávét iszom meg. (focus on the amount)

Can I say szoktam instead of általában?

Yes. Szoktam + infinitive expresses habitual action:

Reggel szoktam egy csésze kávét inni a kávézóban.
Reggelente szoktam egy csésze kávét inni … Using both together (Általában szoktam…) is possible but stylistically heavy; usually choose one.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Stress is always on the first syllable: REG-gel ÁL-ta-lá-ban EGY CSÉ-sze KÁ-vét I-szom a KÁ-vé-zó-ban.
Double consonants are geminated: reggel = “reg-gel”.
Long vowels matter: á, é, ó in általában, kávé, kávézó are held longer.
Letter values: cs = “ch” in “church”; sz = English “s”; s = English “sh”.

How do I say two cups, three cups, etc.?

After numerals, the noun stays singular, and the content still takes the accusative:

Két csésze kávét iszom (reggel).
Három csésze teát iszom. Not: ✗két csészék, ✗kávékat in this construction.

Could I drop egy before csésze?

No; you need egy to express “one cup.” Without it, csésze kávét iszom sounds incomplete/unnatural. With other quantities, use the numeral: két csésze kávét, három csésze kávét, etc.

Where would I put the particle is (“also/too”) if I wanted to say “also”?

Place is immediately after the word it modifies:

Subject: Én is reggel… (“I also…”)
Time: Reggel is általában… (“Also in the morning…”)
Place: A kávézóban is iszom… (“I also drink in the café…”)
Object: Egy csésze kávét is iszom… (“I also drink a cup of coffee…”)