La meva mare no vol córrer avui; prefereix anar en bicicleta.

In Catalan, possessives are very often used with a definite article, especially with family members.

So:

• la meva mare = my mother
• el meu pare = my father

This is different from English, where we do not say the my mother.

A useful pattern is:

• el meu / la meva = my
• el teu / la teva = your
• el seu / la seva = his/her/their

Because mare is a feminine noun.

The possessive must agree with the noun:

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

Examples:

• el meu germà = my brother
• la meva germana = my sister

Since mare is feminine, you use meva.

Vol means wants.

It comes from the verb voler, which means to want.

Here it is the 3rd person singular form:

• jo vull = I want
• tu vols = you want
• ell/ella vol = he/she wants

So:

• La meva mare no vol córrer = My mother doesn’t want to run

In Catalan, standard negation usually puts no before the verb.

So:

• vol = wants
• no vol = does not want / doesn’t want

Examples:

• No menjo = I do not eat
• No ve avui = He/She is not coming today

That is why you get:

• La meva mare no vol córrer avui

Because after verbs like voler (to want) and preferir (to prefer), Catalan normally uses another verb in the infinitive.

So:

• vol córrer = wants to run
• prefereix anar = prefers to go

This is similar to English:

• wants to run
• prefers to go

But note that Catalan does not need a separate word exactly like English to before the second verb in these cases.

Avui means today.

It is an adverb of time. In this sentence it tells you when the mother does not want to run.

So:

• no vol córrer avui = does not want to run today

Catalan is fairly flexible with adverb placement, but this position is very natural.

You may also hear:

• Avui la meva mare no vol córrer

Both are correct, but the emphasis changes slightly.

Prefereix means prefers.

It comes from the verb preferir = to prefer.

Here it is again the 3rd person singular:

• jo prefereixo = I prefer
• tu prefereixes = you prefer
• ell/ella prefereix = he/she prefers

So:

• prefereix anar en bicicleta = prefers to go by bicycle / prefers cycling

Catalan often uses anar en bicicleta, literally to go by bicycle, to express to ride a bike / to cycle.

Breakdown:

• anar = to go
• en bicicleta = by bicycle / on a bicycle

So the whole phrase means:

• to go by bike
• to ride a bicycle
• sometimes simply to cycle

Catalan also has verbs related to cycling, but anar en bicicleta is extremely common and natural.

In Catalan, en is commonly used with means of transport.

Examples:

• en cotxe = by car
• en tren = by train
• en avió = by plane
• en bicicleta = by bicycle

So anar en bicicleta is the normal way to say to go by bike.

The accent in córrer shows the stressed syllable and also helps distinguish pronunciation.

• córrer is stressed on the first syllable: CÓ-rrer

Catalan accent marks are important because they often tell you where the stress falls and sometimes what vowel quality to use.

Prefereix does not need a written accent because its stress follows normal spelling rules.

For a learner, it is a good idea to treat accents as part of the spelling, not as optional marks.

A simple learner-friendly approximation is:

• córrer ≈ KOH-rreh

A few useful notes:

• the ó is stressed
• the rr is a strong rolled or trilled r
• the final -er is not pronounced like English er

If your pronunciation is not perfect yet, the most important thing is to stress the first syllable clearly.

The semicolon links two closely related ideas:

• La meva mare no vol córrer avui
• prefereix anar en bicicleta

In English, this is similar to:

• My mother doesn’t want to run today; she prefers to go by bicycle.

You could also separate them with a period:

• La meva mare no vol córrer avui. Prefereix anar en bicicleta.

Both are correct. The semicolon simply shows that the two statements are closely connected.

Catalan often omits subject pronouns when they are clear from the verb form or context.

After La meva mare, it is obvious that prefereix still refers to my mother, so there is no need to repeat:

• ella prefereix

Catalan commonly does this:

• La Maria estudia i treballa = Maria studies and works
• El meu germà no menja carn; prefereix peix = My brother doesn’t eat meat; he prefers fish

This is one reason Catalan sentences can feel more compact than English ones.

Yes, that is grammatically possible, but it can sound slightly different in focus.

Compare:

• La meva mare no vol córrer avui; prefereix anar en bicicleta.
  • The today clearly modifies the first idea.
• La meva mare prefereix anar en bicicleta avui.
  • Now today sounds more closely linked to the preference for biking.

So the original sentence is clearer if you want to say:

• Today, she doesn’t want to run; instead, she prefers biking.

Yes, but the tone changes.

• mare = mother, mum
• mamà = mum / mommy, depending on context

So:

• La meva mare sounds neutral and standard.
• La meva mamà can sound more affectionate, personal, or regional depending on usage.

For general learning, mare is the safest standard word.

It is standard and widely understood Catalan.

Everything in the sentence is normal and common across Catalan-speaking areas:

• la meva mare
• no vol
• córrer
• avui
• prefereix
• anar en bicicleta

Pronunciation may vary by region, but the grammar and vocabulary are standard.