Després de treballar, vull parlar amb la meva veïna.

Because after després de (after), Catalan often uses an infinitive when the subject is the same as in the main clause.

• després de treballar = after working / after I work
• treballar is the infinitive: to work

This is very similar to English structures like after eating or after working.

If you want to mention a different subject or make it more explicit, Catalan can also use a clause, but in a sentence like this, després de + infinitive is very natural.

In Catalan, the expression is normally després de.

• després de treballar
• després de dinar
• després de classe

So de is simply part of the standard structure. English learners sometimes want to say just després treballar, but that is not correct here.

Because after vull (I want), Catalan uses an infinitive, just like English:

• I want to speak
• vull parlar

So:

• vull = I want
• parlar = to speak

The form parlo means I speak, so vull parlo would be ungrammatical.

Yes, but usually jo is omitted unless you want emphasis or contrast.

Catalan often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject:

• vull clearly means I want

So:

• vull parlar = normal, neutral
• jo vull parlar = more emphatic, like I want to speak

For example, you might use jo if you are contrasting yourself with someone else.

Because the usual Catalan preposition after parlar when meaning to speak with/to someone is amb.

• parlar amb algú = to speak with someone

In real Catalan, you may also hear parlar amb and sometimes parlar amb/en in some varieties or contexts, but for learners, parlar amb is the safest and most standard choice here.

Catalan usually uses the definite article with possessives:

• la meva veïna = my neighbor
• el meu amic = my friend
• la nostra casa = our house

This is different from English, which normally says just my neighbor without the.

So the pattern is:

• article + possessive + noun

Examples:

• el meu cotxe
• la teva germana
• els seus llibres

Because it agrees with veïna, which is a feminine noun.

Catalan possessives agree with the noun they describe:

• el meu veí = my male neighbor
• la meva veïna = my female neighbor

So here:

• veïna is feminine singular
• therefore the possessive is meva

Common forms:

• meu = masculine singular
• meva = feminine singular
• meus = masculine plural
• meves = feminine plural

The two dots over ï show that the i is pronounced separately, not merged into a single vowel sound with the previous vowel.

So veïna is pronounced in separate parts, roughly like:

• ve-i-na

Without the diaeresis, the vowels might be read together differently. The mark helps show the correct pronunciation.

This is a common feature in Catalan spelling:

• veí = neighbor
• veïna = female neighbor

Yes.

• veí = male neighbor / neighbor in a general masculine form
• veïna = female neighbor

Catalan nouns often mark gender, so if you know the neighbor is a woman, veïna is the correct word.

That opening phrase sets the time context first: after working.

Catalan allows this kind of word order very naturally:

• Després de treballar, vull parlar amb la meva veïna.

You could also rearrange the sentence in some contexts, but putting the time expression first is common and natural, especially when you want to frame the whole sentence around when the action happens.

It is generally appropriate because Després de treballar is an introductory phrase before the main clause.

• Després de treballar, vull parlar amb la meva veïna.

In informal writing, punctuation can sometimes vary, but the comma is a good standard choice and helps readability.

Yes, Catalan can also use després by itself in some sentences, but that creates a slightly different structure.

For example:

• Vull parlar amb la meva veïna després. = I want to speak with my neighbor afterwards/later.

That is correct, but it is not exactly the same structure as:

• Després de treballar, vull parlar amb la meva veïna.

The original sentence specifically means after working, not just later. So després de + infinitive is more precise here.

You would change both the noun and anything agreeing with it:

• Després de treballar, vull parlar amb el meu veí.

Changes:

• la meva veïna → el meu veí

So:

• el because veí is masculine singular
• meu because the possessive agrees with a masculine noun
• veí instead of veïna for a male neighbor