Learn Hardcore Swedish: Han vill betala med kort, men hon betalar kontant. - He wants to pay by card, but she pays in cash.

When you talk about a method or means of payment in Swedish, you normally use the bare noun without an article: betala med kort, betala med Swish, betala med presentkort. You would only add an article if you mean a specific card, e.g. med kortet (the card) or med sitt kort (his/her own card).

What part of speech is kontant here, and could I say kontanter instead?

Here kontant is an adverb meaning “in cash,” as in betalar kontant. If you use the noun, it’s plural: kontanter (“cash, notes/coins”), and then you add a preposition: betalar med kontanter. Both are correct; kontant is a bit more concise and idiomatic.

Why is it vill betala and not vill att betala?

Modal verbs like vill, kan, ska, måste, bör are followed by a bare infinitive without att: Han vill betala. You use att as a conjunction before a full clause: Han vill att hon ska betala (He wants her to pay). Don’t say vill att betala.

Where does inte go in these clauses?

The negation inte comes after the finite verb:

Han vill inte betala med kort. (finite verb = vill)
Hon betalar inte kontant. (finite verb = betalar) With a modal + infinitive, inte goes between them.

How do I turn these into yes–no questions?

Use verb–second word order and put the finite verb first:

Vill han betala med kort?
Betalar hon kontant?

Is the comma before men required?

A comma before men is common and perfectly correct when it joins two main clauses: …, men …. In short sentences it’s also acceptable to omit it: Han vill betala med kort men hon betalar kontant. Style guides vary; both versions are widely seen.

Does kort also mean “short”? How do I tell the difference?

Yes. kort can be:

a noun, neuter: ett kort (a card)
an adjective: kort (short) Context and grammar show which it is. After med here, it’s the noun “card” (method of payment).

How would I say “with his/her card” (a specific card)?

Use the definite or a possessive:

med kortet = with the card (already known/specified)
med sitt kort = with his/her own card (reflexive, refers back to the subject)
med hans/hennes kort = with his/her card (not necessarily the subject’s)

Do Swedish verb endings change with the person (I/you/he…)?

No. Verbs have one present form for all persons:

jag/du/han/hon/vi/ni/de betalar Modal vill is also the same for all persons. Past and participle forms: betalade/betalat, ville/velat.

Does the present tense mean “pays” or “is paying”?

Swedish present covers both simple and progressive meanings. Hon betalar kontant can mean “She pays cash (generally)” or “She is paying cash (right now).” Context decides.

What’s the difference between vill and vill ha?

vill + infinitive = wants to do something: Han vill betala.
vill ha + noun = wants to have something: Han vill ha ett kort (He wants a card). Don’t mix them: not vill ha betala.

Why is it med and not another preposition for payment?

For means/instruments, Swedish typically uses med: betala med kort/Swish/kontanter. Some methods take other prepositions by convention, e.g. betala på faktura (by invoice) or betala via appen (via the app).

Can I use a gender‑neutral pronoun instead of han/hon?

Yes. hen is a gender‑neutral pronoun and can replace han/hon: Hen vill betala med kort. As an object, hen is also hen: Jag såg hen.

Where do time or frequency adverbs go?

They usually come after the finite verb:

Han vill alltid betala med kort.
Hon betalar ofta kontant. If you front a time expression, the finite verb still stays in second position: I dag vill han betala med kort.

How do I say this more politely, like “would like to”?

Use skulle vilja: Han skulle vilja betala med kort, men hon betalar kontant. For a request, you can also ask: Kan jag betala med kort?