El gat no pot parar de miolar.

In Catalan, it is very common to use the definite article with a noun when talking about a specific thing or a typical example of something. El gat means the cat.

So:

• El gat = the cat
• Gat = cat

In this sentence, el gat is the subject, so Catalan naturally uses the article.

Gat means cat, specifically a male cat in a literal sense, and it is grammatically masculine.

• el gat = the male cat / the cat
• la gata = the female cat

However, just like in English, the masculine form is often used more generally unless the sex of the animal matters.

In Catalan, the negative word no normally goes directly before the conjugated verb.

So:

• pot = can
• no pot = cannot / can’t

This is the standard position for negation:

• El gat menja. = The cat eats.
• El gat no menja. = The cat does not eat.

Pot is the third person singular form of the verb poder, which means to be able to or can.

Here are some forms of poder in the present tense:

• jo puc = I can
• tu pots = you can
• ell/ella pot = he/she can

Since el gat is he/it singular, Catalan uses pot.

This is a very common structure in Catalan. The first verb is conjugated, and the second verb stays in the infinitive.

Here:

• pot = can
• parar = stop

So pot parar literally means can stop.

Catalan often does this just like English:

• Vol dormir. = He wants to sleep.
• Pot venir. = He can come.
• Ha de marxar. = He has to leave.

The expression is parar de + infinitive, which means to stop doing something.

So:

• parar de
  • verb = stop + -ing in English

Examples:

• parar de parlar = to stop talking
• parar de riure = to stop laughing
• parar de miolar = to stop meowing

Even though English often uses stop + -ing, Catalan uses parar de + infinitive.

Miolar is the verb meaning to meow.

It is the verb specifically used for the sound a cat makes.

Examples:

• El gat miola. = The cat meows / is meowing.
• Els gats miolen. = Cats meow.

Because the verb parar requires the preposition de when it means to stop doing something.

So the full pattern is:

• parar de + infinitive

You cannot normally say pot parar miolar in standard Catalan. It needs de:

• pot parar de miolar = can stop meowing

Yes, it is natural and idiomatic.

It can mean:

• the cat is literally unable to stop meowing
• the cat keeps meowing continuously

Catalan speakers might also use similar expressions such as:

• El gat no deixa de miolar. = The cat doesn’t stop meowing.
• El gat està tot el dia miolant. = The cat is meowing all day.

But your sentence is absolutely correct and natural.

Yes. Parar can mean to stop in different contexts.

For example:

• El cotxe para. = The car stops.
• Para de parlar! = Stop talking!

In your sentence, parar de + infinitive means to stop doing an action.

So the exact meaning depends on the structure:

• parar = stop, halt
• parar de + infinitive = stop doing something

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

• miolar ≈ mee-oh-LAR

A few notes:

• mi- sounds like mee
• -o- is a clear vowel
• the stress falls on the last syllable: -lar

So: mi-o-LAR

Depending on the variety of Catalan, the exact vowel quality may vary a little, but that approximation is good for learners.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

el gat no pot pa-RAR de mi-o-LAR

Some notes:

• gat ends with a clear t sound
• pot also ends with a t
• parar has stress on the last syllable: pa-RAR
• miolar also has stress on the last syllable: mi-o-LAR

Catalan pronunciation is generally more consistent than English spelling, so once you know the stress patterns, it becomes easier.

Almost, but not perfectly.

Word by word:

• El = the
• gat = cat
• no = not
• pot = can
• parar = stop
• de = of / from / to, depending on context
• miolar = to meow

A literal version would be something like:

• The cat cannot stop to meow

But that is not natural English. The natural English translation is:

• The cat can’t stop meowing.

This is a good example of where the grammar matches closely, but the most natural English structure is different.

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

• El gat està miolant. = The cat is meowing.
• El gat no pot parar de miolar. = The cat can’t stop meowing.

The first simply describes an action in progress.
The second emphasizes repetition or the fact that the action keeps going and does not stop.

So estar + gerund and parar de + infinitive are not interchangeable, even though both can refer to an ongoing action.

Yes. The only conjugated verb here is pot, which is present tense.

So the sentence is in the present:

• El gat no pot parar de miolar. = The cat can’t stop meowing.

The verbs parar and miolar are infinitives, not finite verb forms. They do not carry the tense themselves in this sentence. The tense comes from pot.