Després de treballar, prefereixo el silenci a casa.

Because després normally takes the preposition de in Catalan.

So the pattern is:

• després de + noun → after + noun
• després de + infinitive → after + -ing / after + verb

Examples:

• després de dinar = after lunch / after eating
• després de classe = after class
• després de treballar = after working

So de is required here.

In Catalan, after expressions like després de, you usually use the infinitive when the action is general or when the subject is understood.

So:

• després de treballar literally = after to work, but in natural English we say after working

This is very common in Catalan:

• abans de sortir = before leaving
• després de menjar = after eating
• sense parlar = without speaking

English often uses -ing in these cases, while Catalan uses the infinitive.

Prefereixo is the first person singular: I prefer.

It comes from the verb preferir.

Present tense:

• jo prefereixo = I prefer
• tu prefereixes = you prefer
• ell/ella prefereix = he/she prefers
• nosaltres preferim = we prefer
• vosaltres preferiu = you all prefer
• ells/elles prefereixen = they prefer

So in this sentence, the speaker is saying I prefer.

Yes, preferir is irregular in the present tense.

The stem changes in some forms:

• preferir
• jo prefereixo
• tu prefereixes
• ell prefereix
• nosaltres preferim
• vosaltres preferiu
• ells prefereixen

Two things are happening:

1. In some forms, e changes to ei:
   • prefer- → preferei-
2. In the jo form, you also get -xo:
   • prefereixo

This is something you mostly need to memorize.

Catalan often uses the definite article where English might not.

So el silenci literally means the silence, but in English we might simply say silence in some contexts.

In Catalan, the article can make the noun sound more natural and specific:

• prefereixo el silenci = I prefer silence / I prefer the silence

This does not necessarily mean one very specific silence. It is just a common, natural way to express the idea.

A casa usually means at home.

In this sentence:

• prefereixo el silenci a casa = I prefer silence at home

It can refer to being in one’s home environment, not necessarily emphasizing the physical building itself.

This is a very common expression in Catalan:

• Sóc a casa = I’m at home
• Em quedo a casa = I’m staying home
• Torno a casa = I’m going back home

Because a casa is a fixed, very common expression meaning at home or home.

When Catalan refers to home in the personal, everyday sense, it usually says:

• a casa = at home / home

If you say a la casa, it usually refers to a specific house as a building:

• Som a la casa del meu avi = We’re at my grandfather’s house

So:

• a casa = home, in the general personal sense
• a la casa = at the house, referring more literally to the building

Here it means at home.

Catalan uses a casa in both movement and location contexts, so the exact meaning depends on the verb:

• Sóc a casa = I am at home
• Vaig a casa = I am going home
• Prefereixo el silenci a casa = I prefer silence at home

Since preferir does not express movement, the meaning here is clearly at home.

Yes. Catalan, like English, can use preferir without explicitly stating the second option.

So:

• Prefereixo el silenci a casa = I prefer silence at home

The alternative is understood from context. It might mean:

• rather than noise
• rather than going out
• rather than conversation
• rather than activity after work

If you want to make the comparison explicit, you can:

• Prefereixo el silenci a casa a sortir després de treballar. = I prefer silence at home to going out after work.

The given word order is very natural, but Catalan does allow some flexibility.

Standard, natural version:

• Després de treballar, prefereixo el silenci a casa.

You could also say:

• Prefereixo el silenci a casa després de treballar.

That version is also correct, but it places the time expression later.

The original sentence sounds especially natural because it sets the time frame first:

• After working, ...
• then the main statement

So the word order is not completely fixed, but the original is a very normal choice.

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

• Després de treballar, = introductory phrase
• prefereixo el silenci a casa. = main clause

This works much like English:

• After working, I prefer silence at home.

In short sentences, punctuation can sometimes vary a little, but the comma here is perfectly natural and helpful.

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

des-PRES də trə-bə-LYAR, pre-fe-REI-shu el si-LEN-si a KA-zə

A few useful notes:

• després has the stress on the last syllable: -prés
• treballar has the ll sound typical of Catalan, often like ly
• prefereixo contains -eixo, often sounding roughly like ay-shu or ei-shu, depending on accent
• silenci is stressed on len
• casa in Catalan is usually pronounced with a z-like sound between vowels: KA-zə

Pronunciation varies somewhat by dialect, but this will help you get close.

Yes, but the meaning shifts slightly.

• Després de treballar = after working
• Després de la feina = after work / after the job / after the work

Both are natural, but:

• després de treballar focuses on the action
• després de la feina focuses on work as a thing, period, or job

So both are possible, and the choice depends on what nuance you want.