Després de sopar, vull parlar amb la mare.

Després de means after.

In Catalan, després on its own often needs the preposition de before a noun or infinitive:

• després de sopar = after dinner / after eating dinner
• després de la reunió = after the meeting

So unlike English, where after is one word, Catalan usually uses the two-part expression després de.

Here sopar is being used as an infinitive verb: to have dinner / to eat dinner.

So:

• després de sopar literally = after dining
• in natural English = after dinner

If you said després del sopar, that would mean after the dinner or after the meal, referring more clearly to the noun.

Catalan often uses the infinitive after prepositions in places where English might use a noun or an -ing form:

• abans de marxar = before leaving
• després de treballar = after working

It can mean both, depending on how literally you want to understand it.

Grammatically, it is closer to:

• after having dinner
• after eating dinner

But in normal English, the best translation is often simply:

• after dinner

So both ideas are correct.

Vull means I want.

It comes from the verb voler = to want.

This is the 1st person singular present form:

• jo vull = I want

Some other forms of voler are:

• tu vols = you want
• ell/ella vol = he/she wants
• nosaltres volem = we want

Because Catalan often drops subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.

So:

• vull parlar = I want to speak
• jo vull parlar = also possible, but more emphatic

Catalan works like Spanish or Italian here. The verb ending usually tells you who the subject is, so jo is not necessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

Parlar means to speak, but if you want to say who you are speaking with, Catalan uses amb:

• parlar amb algú = to speak with someone / to talk to someone

Examples:

• Parlo amb el professor. = I’m speaking with the teacher.
• Vull parlar amb tu. = I want to talk to you.

If you used parlar de, that would mean to talk about:

• parlar de la feina = to talk about work

So:

• parlar amb la mare = talk to / with mother
• parlar de la mare = talk about mother

Catalan often uses the definite article with family members where English would use a possessive.

So:

• la mare can mean my mother / mom, if the context makes that clear
• la meva mare is also possible, but more explicit

This is very common in Catalan:

• el pare = my father / dad
• la germana = my sister
• la iaia = my grandmother, depending on dialect and family usage

In this sentence, la mare most naturally means my mother.

La mare literally means the mother, but in real use it often corresponds to mother or mom, depending on context and tone.

It is neutral and very common. Whether you translate it as mother or mom depends on the style of English you want:

• more neutral/literal: I want to speak with my mother
• more natural/informal: I want to talk to my mom

Catalan itself does not force exactly one of those English choices here.

Yes. Catalan word order is somewhat flexible.

The original sentence:

• Després de sopar, vull parlar amb la mare.

You could also say:

• Vull parlar amb la mare després de sopar.

Both are correct. The difference is mainly one of emphasis:

• Després de sopar, ... puts the time expression first
• Vull parlar amb la mare ... starts with what the speaker wants

The version with Després de sopar first can sound a bit more structured or slightly more emphatic about the timing.

The comma separates the introductory time phrase from the main clause:

• Després de sopar, = introductory phrase
• vull parlar amb la mare. = main clause

This is similar to English:

• After dinner, I want to talk to my mother.

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

Yes, vull can look strange to English speakers.

In standard Central Catalan, vull is pronounced approximately like bool or vool, depending on accent and how you represent Catalan sounds for English speakers. The ll here does not behave exactly like normal English l.

A rough pronunciation guide for the whole sentence is:

• duhs-PRES deh suh-PAR, vuy / vool par-LAR ahm luh MA-ruh

But pronunciation varies by dialect, especially with:

• ll
• unstressed vowels
• final consonants

The safest approach at beginner level is to learn it by listening to native audio rather than relying only on English spelling.

It can be both.

As a verb:

• sopar = to have dinner

As a noun:

• el sopar = dinner / the evening meal

So:

• Després de sopar = after having dinner
• Després del sopar = after the dinner / after dinner as a noun phrase

Catalan does this with some meal words:

• dinar = to have lunch / lunch
• sopar = to have dinner / dinner

You should be careful not to confuse sopar and sopa.

• sopar = to have dinner or dinner
• sopa = soup

So:

• després de sopar = after dinner
• després de la sopa = after the soup

They look similar, but they mean very different things.