Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Általában te kártyával fizetsz, vagy készpénzzel?

Hungarian usually drops subject pronouns, so the verb form alone already tells us “you” (2nd person singular): Általában kártyával fizetsz, vagy készpénzzel? Adding te keeps things informal but adds emphasis/contrast: “you (as opposed to others).” Both versions are correct; with or without te.

What does the -val/-vel ending mean in kártyával and készpénzzel?

It’s the instrumental-comitative case, typically translated as “with” or “by (means of).” So:

kártyával = “with a card / by card”
készpénzzel = “with cash / in cash (method of payment)”

Why is it készpénzzel with double z, but kártyával doesn’t double anything?

With -val/-vel, if the noun ends in a consonant, the v of the suffix assimilates and the final consonant of the noun doubles:

készpénz + -vel → készpénzzel (z doubles, the v disappears) If the noun ends in a vowel, no doubling happens:
kártya + -val → kártyával

How do I choose -val vs -vel?

Vowel harmony:

Back-vowel words take -val (e.g., táskával).
Front-vowel words take -vel (e.g., szívvel). Assimilation may hide the v (as in készpénzzel), but the vowel still follows harmony.

Why is it fizetsz and not fizeted here?

Fizetsz is 2nd person singular, present, indefinite conjugation. You use indefinite when there’s no definite direct object (“pay with card/cash”). Use definite when you pay a specific object:

Indefinite: Kártyával fizetsz? “Do you pay by card?”
Definite: Fizeted a számlát? “Are you paying the bill?”

Could I use szok- instead of általában to say “usually”?

Yes. The habitual construction is very natural:

Szoktál kártyával fizetni, vagy készpénzzel? You can also combine them for extra emphasis on habit, though it can feel redundant:
Általában szoktál kártyával fizetni, vagy készpénzzel?

Do I need the question particle -e here?

No. Alternative questions (“A or B?”) don’t use -e. You might see -e in neutral yes/no questions, often in written or formal style:

Fizetsz-e általában kártyával? (formal/literary) But your sentence works perfectly without -e.

Why is kártyával placed right before the verb?

In Hungarian, the slot immediately before the finite verb is the focus position. Kártyával there highlights the means (by card) as the thing being contrasted with készpénzzel. It matches the “A or B” contrast.

Can I move általában elsewhere?

Yes. It’s a sentence adverb and is mobile:

Általában te kártyával fizetsz… (neutral, adverb first)
Te általában kártyával fizetsz… (slightly stronger emphasis on “you”)
Kártyával fizetsz általában… (adverb later, still natural) Word order fine-tunes emphasis but all are acceptable.

Is the comma before vagy necessary?

Not strictly. In simple alternative questions, Hungarian often omits the comma:

Általában te kártyával fizetsz vagy készpénzzel? Writers sometimes insert it to reflect a pause. Both are fine.

Does kártyával specifically mean “bank card,” or could it be any card?

Context decides. In payment contexts, kártyával is understood as a bank/credit/debit card. If you need to be explicit:

bankkártyával = by bank card (often debit)
hitelkártyával = by credit card

Why not készpénzben instead of készpénzzel?

With the verb fizet (“to pay”), the idiomatic choice for the means is -val/-vel: készpénzzel fizet. You will see készpénzben in noun phrases like fizetés készpénzben (“payment in cash”). Some speakers do say készpénzben fizet, but készpénzzel fizet is the safest default.

How would I say this politely using the formal “you”?

Use Ön and a 3rd-person verb:

Ön általában kártyával fizet, vagy készpénzzel?

Why does kártya become kártyá- before -val?

Hungarian often lengthens a final -a/-e to -á/-é before consonant-initial suffixes:

kártya + -val → kártyával
alma + -val → almával This is a regular phonological adjustment.

Any quick pronunciation tips for the tricky parts?

sz is like English s; Hungarian s is “sh.”
fizetsz ends in a cluster pronounced roughly “-tss” [fizets].
kártya has a palatal ty (like the “t” in British “tune”), and long á.
készpénzzel has long é and a long zz (geminate z).