Muntem la tenda de campanya.

Muntem comes from the verb muntar, which often means to set up, to assemble, or to put up.

In this sentence, with la tenda de campanya, the most natural meanings are:

• We set up the tent
• We’re setting up the tent
• Let’s set up the tent

The exact English translation depends on context.

It can be either one.

In Catalan, muntem is both:

• 1st person plural present indicative: we set up / we are setting up
• 1st person plural imperative: let’s set up

So Muntem la tenda de campanya. can mean:

• We’re putting up the tent.
• Let’s put up the tent.

Context and intonation tell you which meaning is intended.

Catalan often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is.

Here, the ending -em in muntem shows that the subject is we.

So:

• Muntem la tenda de campanya. = We put up / let’s put up the tent
• Nosaltres muntem la tenda de campanya. = also possible, but nosaltres adds emphasis or contrast

This is very common in Catalan.

Literally, tenda de campanya is something like tent of campaign or campaign tent.

But in natural English, it simply means:

• tent
• camping tent

This is a normal Catalan expression for a tent used for camping or field use.

Catalan often uses the pattern noun + de + noun to describe the type or function of something.

So:

• tenda de campanya = camping tent / tent
• literally, a tent for field/campaign use

This is similar to other Catalan expressions such as:

• sac de dormir = sleeping bag
• taula de menjador = dining table

So de campanya works like a description of what kind of tent it is.

La is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.

So:

• la tenda = the tent

The noun tenda is feminine, so it takes la.

Compare:

• la tenda de campanya = the tent
• una tenda de campanya = a tent

Yes, often you can.

If the context is clear, tenda by itself can mean tent. So Muntem la tenda. is also possible.

Using tenda de campanya is just more explicit. It makes it completely clear that you mean a camping tent, not something else.

A rough English-friendly pronunciation is:

moon-TEM luh TEN-duh duh kum-PA-nyuh

A few helpful notes:

• muntem has the stress on the last syllable: mun-TEM
• tenda has the stress on TEN
• campanya has the stress on PA
• the ny in campanya sounds like the ny in canyon

Pronunciation will vary somewhat by dialect, but this gives you a good starting point.

Yes. This is a very normal Catalan sentence.

Since the subject we is omitted, the sentence begins directly with the verb:

• Muntem = we set up / let’s set up
• la tenda de campanya = the tent

So the structure is:

• Verb + object

If you wanted to include the subject for emphasis, you could say:

• Nosaltres muntem la tenda de campanya.

But the shorter version is more natural in many situations.