Abans de la feina, em rento la cara al bany.

Abans de means before.

In Catalan, abans is normally followed by de when it introduces a noun or an infinitive:

• abans de la feina = before work
• abans de sortir = before leaving

So the de is just part of the normal structure. You usually learn abans de as a set phrase.

Catalan often uses the definite article more than English does.

So:

• la feina = literally the work / the job

But in context, it often translates naturally as just work in English:

• Abans de la feina = Before work

This is very normal in Catalan. English often drops the article where Catalan keeps it.

Feina usually means work or job.

In this sentence, la feina most naturally means work in the everyday sense, as in your workday or job schedule:

• Abans de la feina = Before work

Depending on context, feina can also mean task, piece of work, or employment, but here work is the best fit.

Em rento means I wash myself or, more naturally here, I wash.

The verb is rentar-se = to wash oneself.
The word em is the reflexive pronoun for me/myself.

So:

• em = myself / me
• rento = I wash

Together:

• em rento = I wash myself

In this sentence, Catalan uses the reflexive because you are washing your own face.

Rento is the 1st person singular present tense form of rentar:

• jo rento = I wash
• tu rentes = you wash
• ell/ella renta = he/she washes

Since the subject is I, the verb takes the -o ending:

• em rento = I wash myself

So em shows the reflexive idea, and rento shows that the subject is I.

This is a very common pattern in Catalan.

With body parts, clothing, and some personal items, Catalan often uses:

• a reflexive pronoun + definite article

rather than a possessive.

So instead of saying:

• em rento la meva cara

Catalan normally says:

• em rento la cara

Literally, that is I wash myself the face, but the natural English meaning is:

• I wash my face

Because em already shows who the face belongs to, la is enough.

Grammatically, it would be understandable, but it sounds unnatural in normal Catalan.

For body parts, Catalan strongly prefers:

• em rento la cara
• em raspallo les dents
• em poso la jaqueta

rather than using meu/meva.

You would only use la meva cara if you really wanted to emphasize my face specifically, for contrast or special focus.

Al is the contraction of:

• a + el = al

So:

• al bany = in/to the bathroom

Here bany is masculine (el bany), so after a you get al.

Examples:

• vaig al banc = I go to the bank
• soc al bany = I am in the bathroom

In your sentence, al bany means in the bathroom.

That is a good question. In Catalan, a can cover both ideas that English separates into to, at, and sometimes in, depending on context.

So:

• al bany can mean to the bathroom or in the bathroom
• the context tells you which one is intended

In em rento la cara al bany, the natural meaning is I wash my face in the bathroom, because it describes where the action happens.

Yes, it could.

Catalan often places time expressions at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis or natural flow:

• Abans de la feina, em rento la cara al bany.

This is very natural and means:

• Before work, I wash my face in the bathroom.

You could also say:

• Em rento la cara al bany abans de la feina.

That is also correct. The meaning is basically the same, though the emphasis shifts slightly.

The comma is used because Abans de la feina is an introductory time phrase placed at the start of the sentence.

It works much like English:

• Before work, I wash my face in the bathroom.

In short sentences, punctuation can sometimes vary a little, but the comma here is completely natural and helps readability.

No. It can be either reflexive or non-reflexive, depending on what you mean.

• rentar = to wash something
• rentar-se = to wash oneself

Compare:

• Rento el cotxe. = I wash the car.
• Em rento la cara. = I wash my face.

So in your sentence, the reflexive is used because the subject is washing part of their own body.

Yes:

• Abans de la feina, jo em rento la cara al bany.

But usually Catalan does not need the subject pronoun because the verb form already shows who the subject is.

So the version without jo is more natural in ordinary speech:

• Abans de la feina, em rento la cara al bany.

You would add jo only for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.