Learn Hardcore Swedish: Han betalar alltid kontant, men hon betalar med kort; därför går det snabbare. - He always pays in cash, but she pays by card; therefore it goes faster.

Betala kontant is a fixed expression where kontant functions adverbially and means “in cash.”
Kontanter is a plural noun meaning “cash” (bills/coins). You can say betala med kontanter, but it’s longer and less idiomatic in everyday speech.
Don’t say Han betalar alltid kontanter (you’d need med if you use the noun: med kontanter).
As an adjective, kontant can appear in phrases like kontant betalning “cash payment.”

Why is there no article in med kort? Why not med ett kort?

Swedish often uses a bare singular noun for instruments/means in set phrases: betala med kort = “pay by card.”
Med ett kort would point to one specific, concrete card and is only used when you really want to highlight that specificity.
Med kortet means “with the card” (a particular card already known from context).

What does det do in därför går det snabbare?

Det is a dummy/formal subject. Swedish often needs a subject slot filled even when there isn’t a real semantic subject.
Think of patterns like Det går bra (“It goes well”). You could also say: Att betala med kort går snabbare (here the subject is the infinitive phrase).

Why is it därför går det and not därför det går?

Main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in second position. When an adverbial like därför comes first, the verb inverts with the subject: Därför går det …
Därför det går breaks V2 and is ungrammatical in a main clause.

Can I say Det går därför snabbare instead?

Yes. That keeps the subject first and places därför in the “middle field.” Both orders are correct:

Därför går det snabbare. (fronted result, stronger discourse link)
Det går därför snabbare. (neutral, mid-position adverb)

Is the semicolon before därför correct? What else could I use?

Yes. A semicolon can link two closely related main clauses when the second states a consequence, introduced by därför.
Other acceptable options:
- Period: … men hon betalar med kort. Därför går det snabbare.
- Comma + så: … men hon betalar med kort, så det går snabbare.
Avoid just a comma without a linker before därför in formal writing.

What’s the difference between därför and därför att?

Därför = “therefore/for that reason” (result).
Därför att = “because” (introduces a cause clause).
Example: Det går snabbare därför att hon betalar med kort. = “It’s faster because she pays by card.”
You can also use eftersom for “because.”

Why snabbare and not mer snabb?

Swedish comparatives of most short/common adjectives take -are: snabb → snabbare → snabbast.
Mer snabb is unidiomatic. Use mer for many longer adjectives: intressant → mer intressant.

Where does alltid go? Can I say Han alltid betalar?

In a main clause, sentence adverbs like alltid normally come after the finite verb: Han betalar alltid kontant.
With an auxiliary: Han har alltid betalat kontant.
Han alltid betalar is wrong in standard word order, and Han betalar kontant alltid sounds odd; place alltid early.

Could I use medan instead of men?

Men marks simple contrast (“but”).
Medan means “while,” highlighting a simultaneous contrast. It works here too: Han betalar alltid kontant, medan hon betalar med kort; … The nuance is more “at the same time, by contrast.”

Does kort mean any card? What if I want to specify?

Kort is generic; it normally implies a bank/debit or credit card.
To specify, use bankkort (debit card) or kreditkort (credit card): betala med kreditkort.
Forms: ett kort (a card), kortet (the card), flera kort (several cards), korten (the cards).

Can I say därför går det fortare instead of snabbare?

Yes. Fortare (from fort) is a common synonym of snabbare. Snabbare can feel a touch more neutral/formal; fortare is very idiomatic in speech. No real difference in meaning here.

Why is there a comma before men?

Swedish typically places a comma before men when it links two independent clauses. That’s the standard recommendation in formal writing.
In shorter clauses it’s sometimes omitted in informal writing, but the comma is preferred.

Is därför så går det snabbare acceptable?

Many speakers say this in casual speech, but style guides often call the därför + så combination redundant.
In writing, prefer either Därför går det snabbare or …, så det går snabbare.

Why present tense betalar? Could I use brukar?

Swedish present (-r) covers habitual actions: Han betalar alltid kontant = he pays cash as a habit.
Brukar explicitly marks habit: Han brukar betala kontant (often you then drop alltid, or you get emphasis: brukar alltid = “literally always, as a rule”).

Any quick pronunciation tips?

Därför: ä is front (like the a in “bad” but longer/tenser), ö is rounded (like the vowel in “fur,” but rounded lips). Stress on the first syllable: DÄR-för.
Går: å is a long “o” sound (like “bore”); final r is often tapped.
Kort: the rt cluster is often a retroflex [ʈ] in many accents; the vowel is short [ʊ].
Betalar: stress on the second syllable: be-TAL-ar.