Al matí, he d'esmorzar abans de sortir de casa.

Al is the contraction of a + el. In Catalan, a el normally becomes al.

So:

• a + el matí → al matí

This expression is a very common way to say in the morning.
You cannot normally leave it as a el matí.

A related expression you may also see is de matí, which can also mean in the morning / in the mornings, but al matí is perfectly natural here.

Catalan often leaves out subject pronouns when they are already clear from the verb form.

Here, he already tells you the subject is I, so jo is not necessary:

• (Jo) he d'esmorzar...

Adding jo is possible, but it usually gives extra emphasis, contrast, or clarity:

• Jo he d'esmorzar abans de sortir, però tu no.

So in a neutral sentence, leaving out jo is the most natural choice.

Because Catalan uses the structure haver de + infinitive to express have to / must.

So:

• he de + verb = I have to + verb
• has de + verb = you have to + verb
• ha de + verb = he/she/it has to + verb

In this sentence:

• he d'esmorzar = I have to eat breakfast

This is one of the most important obligation patterns in Catalan.

It is the same verb, haver, but it is being used differently.

Catalan haver can do two jobs:

1. As an auxiliary in a compound tense:

   • he menjat = I have eaten

2. In the pattern haver de + infinitive, expressing obligation:

   • he de menjar = I have to eat

So in your sentence, he d'esmorzar is not a perfect tense. It is an obligation structure.

Because de is elided before a vowel: it becomes d'.

Since esmorzar begins with a vowel sound, de changes to d':

• de + esmorzar → d'esmorzar

This is a normal spelling rule in Catalan.
You will see the same thing in many other places, for example:

• d'anar
• d'estudiar
• d'obrir

Here it is a verb in the infinitive.

That is because after haver de, Catalan uses an infinitive:

• he d'esmorzar
• has de sortir
• hem de treballar

So esmorzar here means to have breakfast / to eat breakfast.

Catalan also uses esmorzar as a noun in some contexts, but in this sentence it is clearly a verb.

Because Catalan normally uses abans de + infinitive.

So:

• abans de sortir = before leaving
• abans de menjar = before eating
• abans d'arribar = before arriving

You do not normally say abans sortir.

A useful contrast is:

• abans de + infinitive
• abans que + conjugated verb

For example:

• abans de sortir
• abans que surti

Both are possible patterns, but with an infinitive, de is required.

Because when casa means home, Catalan often uses it without an article.

So these are very common:

• a casa = at home / home
• de casa = from home
• ser a casa = to be at home

In your sentence, sortir de casa is the normal idiomatic expression for leave home / leave the house.

You would use an article if you were talking about a specific house as an object or building, not just home in the usual sense.

Yes, but the given order is very natural.

Starting with Al matí puts the time expression first and sets the scene:

• Al matí, he d'esmorzar abans de sortir de casa.

You could also say:

• He d'esmorzar abans de sortir de casa al matí.

But that version is less natural if your main goal is simply to frame the whole sentence as something that happens in the morning.

The initial position is common for time phrases in Catalan, and the comma helps show that Al matí is an introductory element.

It often sounds habitual, especially because of al matí and the present tense.

So it can suggest something like a routine or repeated necessity:

• in the morning, I have to eat breakfast before leaving home

However, Catalan present tense can also describe a current or immediate situation, depending on context.

So without more context, the sentence can mean either:

• a general routine, or
• a present necessity

But many learners will naturally hear it as something habitual.