El veterinari mira la pota.

• El = the (masculine singular definite article)
• veterinari = veterinarian / vet
• mira = looks at / examines / watches, from the verb mirar
• la = the (feminine singular definite article)
• pota = paw / animal leg

So the structure is very straightforward:

El veterinari = the subject
mira = the verb
la pota = the direct object

Catalan word order here is the normal Subject + Verb + Object, just like English.

Because mirar is the infinitive, meaning to look at or to examine.

In the sentence, the verb has to be conjugated to match the subject el veterinari (the veterinarian), which is third person singular. So:

• mirar = to look at
• mira = he/she looks at

Present tense of mirar:

• jo miro = I look
• tu mires = you look
• ell/ella mira = he/she looks
• nosaltres mirem = we look
• vosaltres mireu = you all look
• ells/elles miren = they look

So El veterinari mira... means The veterinarian looks at...

It can mean all of those, depending on context.

In a sentence like El veterinari mira la pota, the most natural sense is often looks at or examines, because a vet looking at an animal’s paw is probably checking it.

Common uses of mirar:

• mirar la televisió = to watch TV
• mirar un llibre = to look at a book
• mirar una ferida = to examine a wound

So mirar is broader than just one English verb.

Because in Catalan, mirar normally takes a direct object with no preposition.

In English, we say:

• look at the paw

But in Catalan, you usually say:

• mirar la pota

Not:

• mirar a la pota ❌

This is a very common difference between English and Catalan. Catalan often uses the verb directly where English needs at.

Catalan often uses the definite article (el, la, els, les) where English would often use a possessive such as his, her, or its, especially when the owner is clear from context.

So:

• El veterinari mira la pota
  can naturally mean
• The veterinarian looks at the paw or, in context,
• The veterinarian looks at its paw / the animal’s paw

If you really want to specify possession, you could say:

• El veterinari mira la seva pota = The veterinarian looks at his/her/its paw

But Catalan often prefers the article when the relationship is obvious.

Not exactly.

• pota usually refers to an animal’s leg or paw
• cama usually means a human leg
• peu means foot

So for an animal, pota is the natural word here.

Examples:

• El gos té una pota ferida. = The dog has an injured paw/leg.
• Em fa mal la cama. = My leg hurts.
• Em fa mal el peu. = My foot hurts.

Also, pota can sometimes be used for the leg of a table or chair.

Here el veterinari is masculine singular, so it usually refers to a male veterinarian.

The feminine form is:

• la veterinària = the female veterinarian

So:

• El veterinari mira la pota. = The male veterinarian looks at the paw.
• La veterinària mira la pota. = The female veterinarian looks at the paw.

Notice that the feminine form changes both the article and the noun ending:

• el veterinari
• la veterinària

Literally, el means the, so el veterinari means the veterinarian.

If you want a veterinarian, you would normally say:

• Un veterinari

So:

• El veterinari mira la pota. = The veterinarian looks at the paw.
• Un veterinari mira la pota. = A veterinarian looks at the paw.

That said, sometimes in real-life context the definite article can sound natural in Catalan where English might still translate more loosely, but the basic rule is:

• el / la = the
• un / una = a / an

Yes, in many contexts the simple present in Catalan can translate naturally as either:

• looks at
• is looking at

So El veterinari mira la pota could mean:

• The veterinarian looks at the paw or
• The veterinarian is looking at the paw

If you want to emphasize an action in progress, Catalan can also use:

• El veterinari està mirant la pota. = The veterinarian is looking at the paw.

But the simple present is very common and often enough.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

el bə-tə-ri-NA-ri MI-rə lə PO-tə

A few helpful points:

• veterinari has the stress on -na-: veterinari
• mira has the stress on mi-
• pota has the stress on po-

The exact pronunciation varies a bit depending on dialect, but the stress pattern stays the same.

Yes, but El veterinari mira la pota is the most neutral and standard order.

Catalan usually prefers:

• Subject + Verb + Object

You may sometimes see different orders for emphasis, such as:

• La pota la mira el veterinari.

That kind of structure adds emphasis or contrast, but it is less neutral. For a beginner, the basic pattern in your sentence is the one to learn first.

In this sentence, yes, normally they do.

Catalan uses articles more often than English in many situations. So:

• El veterinari = the veterinarian
• la pota = the paw

If you removed them:

• Veterinari mira pota ❌

that would sound ungrammatical in normal Catalan.

So one important habit for English speakers is: don’t drop articles where Catalan expects them.