Després del semàfor, continua recte fins al pont.

Because del is the normal contraction of de + el in Catalan.

• de = of / from / after, depending on context
• el semàfor = the traffic light
• de + el → del

So després del semàfor literally breaks down as after the traffic light.

This kind of contraction is very common in Catalan:

• de + el → del
• a + el → al

Després means after or afterwards, but when it is followed by a noun, Catalan usually uses després de.

So:

• després del semàfor = after the traffic light
• després de dinar = after lunch
• després on its own = afterwards / later

So in this sentence, després de is the full expression, and del is just de + el.

Yes. Here continua is the informal singular imperative of continuar: it is telling one person to continue.

So the sentence is giving directions directly to you:

• continua recte = go straight / continue straight

A useful thing to know is that this form looks the same as the 3rd person present form:

• ell/ella continua = he/she continues
• continua! = continue!

The meaning comes from context.

It uses the informal singular form, meaning it is speaking to one person in a casual or normal way.

Other possible versions would be:

• continua recte = to one person, informal
• continuï recte = to one person, formal
• continueu recte = to more than one person
• continuïn recte = formal plural

In everyday directions, continua is very natural if you are talking to one person informally.

Here recte means straight or straight ahead.

In directions, anar recte or continuar recte means:

• keep going in the same direction
• do not turn left or right

So:

• continua recte = continue straight
• ves recte = go straight

Even though recte can also mean correct in some contexts, here it clearly means straight ahead.

Fins al pont means up to the bridge or until you reach the bridge.

Here again you have a contraction:

• a + el → al

So:

• fins al pont = fins a el pont → up to the bridge

In directions, fins a often marks the endpoint:

• fins a la plaça = up to the square
• fins al final del carrer = up to the end of the street

So the sentence is telling you to keep going straight until the bridge.

In Catalan, nouns very often appear with an article where English might sometimes omit one.

So el pont means the bridge, and in this sentence it refers to a specific bridge the listener is expected to recognize.

That is why Catalan says:

• fins al pont = until the bridge / up to the bridge

Using pont without an article here would sound incomplete or unnatural in standard Catalan.

The comma separates the introductory phrase from the main instruction:

• Després del semàfor, = after the traffic light,
• continua recte fins al pont. = continue straight until the bridge.

It helps the sentence read more clearly, especially in written directions. You may sometimes see similar short sentences without a comma in informal writing, but with this structure the comma is perfectly natural.

A simple approximation for an English speaker is:

deh-SPRES del seh-MA-for, kon-ti-NOO-uh REK-tuh fins al pont

A few helpful notes:

• després has stress on the last syllable: -prés
• semàfor has stress on mà
• continua is usually pronounced with four syllables: con-ti-nu-a
• recte sounds roughly like REK-tuh
• pont has an o that is more closed than English aw

Pronunciation varies by dialect, so the exact sound can differ somewhat depending on whether the speaker is from Barcelona, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, etc.

Yes. There are several natural ways to give the same instruction. For example:

• Després del semàfor, segueix recte fins al pont.
• Passat el semàfor, continua recte fins al pont.
• Després del semàfor, ves recte fins al pont.

These all mean something very similar. The original sentence is completely natural, but Catalan often allows more than one common phrasing for directions.

Yes. If you do not name what comes after, després can stand alone and mean afterwards or later.

Compare:

• Després del semàfor, continua recte. = After the traffic light, continue straight.
• Ara gira a l’esquerra; després, continua recte. = Now turn left; afterwards, continue straight.

So:

• després de + noun/infinitive = after something
• després alone = afterwards / later