A pénztáros mosolyog, és azt mondja: persze, ez nem probléma.

The cashier smiles and says: of course, this is not a problem.

Breakdown of A pénztáros mosolyog, és azt mondja: persze, ez nem probléma.

• ez: this
• lenni: to be
• és: and
• nem: not
• azt: that
• mondani: to say
• pénztáros: cashier
• mosolyogni: to smile
• persze: of course
• probléma: problem

Questions & Answers about A pénztáros mosolyog, és azt mondja: persze, ez nem probléma.

Why does it start with A in A pénztáros? Is that a or the English a?

In Hungarian, a is the definite article the (not the English indefinite a).

• A pénztáros = the cashier.
  Hungarian has two definite articles: a and az. Az is used before words starting with a vowel sound; a before consonant sounds.

What exactly is pénztáros and how is it pronounced?

Pénztáros means cashier.
Pronunciation tips:

• é is a long vowel (roughly like “ay” but purer): pén-
• Stress in Hungarian is almost always on the first syllable: PÉNZ-tá-ros. Also, sz is pronounced like English s, so pénztáros ends with an s sound.

Why is the verb mosolyog and not something like mosolyogja?

Mosolyog is an intransitive verb meaning (he/she) smiles—it doesn’t take a direct object.
Hungarian only uses the definite verb conjugation (forms like -ja/-i) when the verb has a definite direct object. Since smile here has no direct object, you get the indefinite form: mosolyog.

Why is there a comma before és: mosolyog, és azt mondja?

Hungarian punctuation often uses a comma before és (and) when it links two full clauses (two separate verb phrases with their own structure).
Here you have:

• Clause 1: A pénztáros mosolyog
• Clause 2: (A pénztáros) … azt mondja So the comma is common and acceptable, especially in written Hungarian.

What is azt in azt mondja? Why not just mondja?

Azt is the accusative form of az (that/it), and it works like that/this as a “placeholder” object: says this/that (namely…).
So azt mondja: is like English (he/she) says: or says this: and then the exact words follow.

Why is it mondja and not mond?

Because mondja is the definite conjugation form of mond (to say), used when the verb has a definite direct object. Here the direct object is azt (that/it), which is definite.

• mond = (he/she) says (something unspecific)
• mondja = (he/she) says it/that (a specific thing)

What does the colon mean after azt mondja:?

The colon introduces direct speech—the exact words being said. Hungarian often uses a colon this way, especially in writing:

• azt mondja: persze, ez nem probléma.
  This is similar to English: … and says: of course, that’s not a problem.

What nuance does persze have? Is it always positive?

Persze most commonly means of course / sure in a friendly, natural way.
But depending on tone, it can also sound ironic or impatient (like English yeah, sure). In this context (a cashier smiling), it strongly suggests the friendly sure / of course meaning.

Why is there no word for is in ez nem probléma?

Hungarian often omits the present-tense verb van (to be) in third-person statements.
So:

• Ez nem probléma. = This is not a problem.
  You would use van in other situations (e.g., existence/locations): Itt van. = It is here.

Why is nem placed before probléma?

In Hungarian, nem typically goes directly before what is being negated.
Here the whole predicate is negated:

• ez nem probléma = this is not a problem
  You’ll often see nem right before the verb too, but since there’s no visible is here, it appears before the noun predicate probléma.

Is the word order flexible here, or is this the only natural way to say it?

Hungarian word order is fairly flexible, but different orders change emphasis. This sentence is neutral and natural.
For example:

• A pénztáros mosolyog, és azt mondja: … (neutral narrative flow)
  You could reorder for emphasis (e.g., emphasizing the speaker or the act of speaking), but this version is a very standard “storytelling” order.