El meu pare mira cada quadre amb la guia, però la meva filla prefereix aquesta pintura.

In standard Catalan, possessives are very often used together with the definite article:

• el meu pare
• la meva filla
• la nostra casa

This is one of the big differences from English.
So where English says my father, Catalan usually says the my father, literally speaking.

There are some more traditional or literary family forms such as mon pare, ma mare, but el meu pare and la meva filla are the normal, safe standard forms for learners.

Because the possessive has to agree with the noun it describes.

Here the singular possessive forms are:

• meu = masculine singular
• meva = feminine singular

So:

• pare is masculine → el meu pare
• filla is feminine → la meva filla

This agreement pattern is very common in Catalan:

• el meu llibre
• la meva amiga

Both are third person singular present indicative.

• mira = he/she looks at
• prefereix = he/she prefers

In this sentence:

• El meu pare mira... → My father looks at...
• la meva filla prefereix... → my daughter prefers...

Catalan verbs change depending on the subject, so the verb ending already tells you the subject is he/she/it.

Catalan often leaves subject pronouns out because the verb form usually makes the subject clear.

So instead of saying:

• Ell mira...
• Ella prefereix...

Catalan very naturally says:

• El meu pare mira...
• la meva filla prefereix...

This is normal in Catalan. Subject pronouns such as ell or ella are usually added only for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

Cada means each or every, and it is followed by a singular noun in Catalan.

So:

• cada quadre = each painting
• cada dia = every day
• cada persona = each person

You do not normally use a plural noun after cada.

Both can be related to paintings or art, but they are not always identical.

• quadre usually means a painting as a physical artwork, often a framed picture
• pintura can mean painting as an artwork, but also paint or the art/style/act of painting, depending on context

In this sentence, the two words help create a natural variation in vocabulary:

• cada quadre = each painting / each picture
• aquesta pintura = this painting

A learner should remember that quadre is often a very concrete museum/gallery word.

Because the demonstrative must agree with the noun in gender and number.

Pintura is feminine singular, so the correct form is aquesta.

Common singular forms:

• aquest = this, masculine singular
• aquesta = this, feminine singular

Examples:

• aquest llibre = this book
• aquesta pintura = this painting

Amb usually means with.

So amb la guia means with the guide or with the guidebook, depending on the context and the meaning you were shown.

It is a very common preposition in Catalan:

• amb un amic = with a friend
• amb la professora = with the teacher
• amb calma = calmly / with calm

That is a normal Catalan word order. The phrase amb la guia is a prepositional phrase that adds extra information to the verb mira.

So the structure is roughly:

• El meu pare = subject
• mira = verb
• cada quadre = direct object
• amb la guia = extra phrase meaning with the guide
• però = but
• la meva filla = new subject
• prefereix = verb
• aquesta pintura = direct object

Catalan word order is often similar to English here, even though Catalan is generally a bit more flexible.

Però means but, and it is spelled with a grave accent on the o: ò.

The accent is part of the standard spelling. It helps show the correct stressed vowel and also distinguishes it from other similar-looking forms.

So you should learn it as a fixed word:

• però = but

Both. Their meanings refer to male and female family members, and grammatically they behave as masculine and feminine nouns.

• pare is masculine → el meu pare
• filla is feminine → la meva filla

This affects:

• the article: el / la
• the possessive: meu / meva
• other words that agree with the noun

So gender agreement in Catalan is something you need to track across the whole noun phrase.

Grammatically, Catalan could say many different things depending on context, but in this sentence la meva filla is natural because it clearly contrasts the two family members:

• El meu pare...
• però la meva filla...

Repeating the possessive makes the contrast neat and clear. If the context were already very obvious, Catalan might simplify, but as a standalone sentence the full form sounds natural.

Yes — this sentence is a good example of how much agreement Catalan uses.

Look at the noun phrases:

• el meu pare

  • el matches masculine singular
  • meu matches masculine singular
  • pare is masculine singular

• la meva filla

  • la matches feminine singular
  • meva matches feminine singular
  • filla is feminine singular

• aquesta pintura

  • aquesta matches feminine singular
  • pintura is feminine singular

For an English speaker, this is one of the most important habits to develop in Catalan: words around the noun often change to match its gender and number.