M'agrada escoltar la ràdio al matí quan esmorzo.

Because agradar works differently from English to like.

In Catalan, agradar literally means something like to be pleasing to someone. So:

• M'agrada escoltar la ràdio = Listening to the radio is pleasing to me
• more natural English: I like listening to the radio

The m' means to me.

So:

• M'agrada = It pleases me / I like it
• T'agrada = You like it
• Li agrada = He/she likes it

This is one of the most important patterns to get used to in Catalan.

Because the thing being liked is treated as a singular idea: escoltar la ràdio.

The subject of agrada is the whole infinitive phrase:

• escoltar la ràdio = listening to the radio

That whole activity counts as singular, so Catalan uses agrada.

Compare:

• M'agrada escoltar la ràdio. = I like listening to the radio.
• M'agraden les cançons catalanes. = I like Catalan songs.

In the second sentence, les cançons is plural, so you get agraden.

M' is the unstressed pronoun em, meaning to me.

Before a vowel, em is usually shortened:

• em agrada → m'agrada

So:

• em becomes m' before agrada
• this is just a normal contraction in writing and speech

Other examples:

• M'interessa = It interests me
• M'encanta = I love it

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

Esmorzo already tells you the subject is I:

• esmorzo = I have breakfast

So quan esmorzo naturally means when I have breakfast.

You can say quan jo esmorzo, but it is usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

Esmorzo is the 1st person singular present of esmorzar, which means to have breakfast.

So:

• esmorzo = I have breakfast
• quan esmorzo = when I have breakfast

Be careful: esmorzar can also be a noun in Catalan, meaning breakfast, depending on context.

Examples:

• Esmorzo a les vuit. = I have breakfast at eight.
• L'esmorzar és important. = Breakfast is important.

Catalan often uses the definite article in places where English may or may not use one.

Here, la ràdio means the radio, but in natural English the sentence is often translated simply as I like listening to the radio.

Using the article is normal with media or devices:

• mirar la televisió = to watch television / TV
• escoltar la ràdio = to listen to the radio

So la ràdio is the standard form here.

Al matí means in the morning.

Al is a contraction of:

• a + el = al

So:

• al matí literally = at the morning
• natural English = in the morning

This contraction is very common in Catalan:

• al cotxe = to the car / in the car, depending on context
• al carrer = in the street / out on the street

Yes, but they are not always exactly the same in tone or usage.

• al matí = in the morning
• pel matí = in the morning, often also very natural
• de matí = in the morning / in the mornings, sometimes with a slightly more habitual feel depending on context and region

In this sentence, al matí is perfectly natural.

A learner should mainly recognize that Catalan has several common ways to say in the morning, and al matí is one of the standard ones.

Both can work, but they are slightly different.

• quan esmorzo = when I have breakfast
• mentre esmorzo = while I have breakfast

In many everyday contexts, both sound natural. But:

• quan can introduce a time situation more generally
• mentre emphasizes that something happens during the same time period

So:

• M'agrada escoltar la ràdio quan esmorzo = I like listening to the radio when I have breakfast
• M'agrada escoltar la ràdio mentre esmorzo = I like listening to the radio while I’m having breakfast

The second one can feel a bit more explicitly simultaneous.

Yes, but escoltar is the normal choice for to listen to.

• escoltar = to listen to
• sentir = to hear

So:

• M'agrada escoltar la ràdio = I like listening to the radio
• Sento la ràdio would mean something more like I hear the radio

The difference is similar to English:

• listen = active
• hear = passive

Here the person is intentionally listening, so escoltar is the right verb.

The accent marks show stress.

• ràdio is stressed on the first syllable: RÀ-di-o
• matí is stressed on the last syllable: ma-TÍ

These written accents are very helpful in Catalan because they tell you where the stress goes.

They can also distinguish words or vowel quality, but in this sentence the main thing for a learner is stress.

The sentence is natural as written, but Catalan word order is somewhat flexible.

Original:

• M'agrada escoltar la ràdio al matí quan esmorzo.

Possible alternatives:

• Quan esmorzo al matí, m'agrada escoltar la ràdio.
• Al matí, quan esmorzo, m'agrada escoltar la ràdio.

The original version sounds very normal. Reordering usually changes emphasis, not the basic meaning.

You just put no before the verb:

• No m'agrada escoltar la ràdio al matí quan esmorzo.

That means:

• I don’t like listening to the radio in the morning when I have breakfast.

This is the normal way to negate agradar sentences in Catalan.