Després, la mare vol llegir una carta.

Here després means afterwards, later, or then, depending on context.

Used by itself, it works as an adverb:

• Després, la mare vol llegir una carta. = Afterwards, the mother wants to read a letter.

If you want to say after followed by a noun or infinitive, Catalan usually uses després de:

• després de dinar = after lunch
• després de llegir = after reading

So després alone = afterwards/later, but després de = after.

The accent in després shows where the stress falls and also marks the vowel as é.

So the word is stressed on the last syllable:

• des-PRÉS

Without the accent, the spelling would not correctly show the standard pronunciation.

The comma marks a small pause after the introductory adverb després.

Catalan often uses a comma after sentence-openers like:

• Després, ...
• Aleshores, ...
• Per tant, ...

In a simple sentence like this, leaving the comma out is also common:

• Després la mare vol llegir una carta.

So the comma is natural, but in many contexts it is not absolutely required.

Catalan normally uses the definite article with many nouns where English may not, including family-member nouns in ordinary statements.

So:

• la mare = the mother / mom
• el pare = the father / dad

Using mare without an article is possible in some special contexts, such as directly addressing your mother:

• Mare, escolta! = Mom, listen!

But in a neutral sentence like this, la mare is the normal form.

It can be either, depending on tone and context.

• In a neutral or formal translation, mare is often mother.
• In everyday family context, it may feel more like mom or mum.

So the Catalan word itself does not force one exact English choice.

Vol is the third-person singular present form of voler, which means to want.

So:

• jo vull = I want
• tu vols = you want
• ell/ella vol = he/she wants

In this sentence, la mare vol means the mother wants.

Because Catalan uses voler + infinitive directly.

So:

• vol llegir = wants to read
• vull menjar = I want to eat
• volen sortir = they want to go out

English needs to after want, but Catalan does not insert an extra word there.

Una is the feminine singular indefinite article, meaning a or an.

Since carta is a feminine noun, it takes una:

• una carta = a letter

Compare:

• un llibre = a book
• una carta = a letter

Also, una can sometimes mean one when it is stressed for contrast:

• una carta, no dues = one letter, not two

But here it simply means a.

Yes. In this sentence, carta means a written letter.

If you mean a letter of the alphabet, Catalan uses lletra:

• una carta = a letter (mail/message)
• una lletra = a letter (A, B, C, etc.)

One extra note: carta can also mean menu in some contexts, such as in a restaurant. Here, because of llegir and the meaning already given, it means a written letter.

This word order is the most neutral and natural one:

• Després, la mare vol llegir una carta.

It follows a very common pattern:

• time word
• subject
• verb
• infinitive
• object

Catalan does allow some flexibility for emphasis, but this version is the standard, straightforward way to say it. For example, you could also say:

• La mare vol llegir una carta després.

That changes the rhythm a little, but not the basic meaning.

The pronunciation depends somewhat on dialect, but a useful approximation is:

• llegir ≈ lyuh-ZHEE or yuh-ZHEE

Two things are especially important:

• ll is traditionally a ly-type sound, although many speakers pronounce it closer to y
• g before i sounds like the s in measure or the j in French Jean

So the middle of the word is not a hard g sound. It is a softer zh sound.