Si vols arribar a la plaça, no giris a la dreta després del pont; continua recte.

Because si without an accent means if.

Catalan also has sí with an accent, which means yes. This is a very common distinction:

• si = if
• sí = yes

So in this sentence, Si vols... means If you want...

Vols is the 2nd person singular form of voler (to want) in the present tense, used for tu:

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

Since the sentence is addressing one person informally, Catalan uses vols.

Catalan often leaves out subject pronouns when they are already clear from the verb form.

So:

• Si vols arribar...
  means the same as
• Si tu vols arribar...

The verb vols already tells us the subject is tu, so adding tu is usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

After si meaning if, Catalan normally uses the indicative for real or possible situations.

So:

• Si vols arribar a la plaça... = If you want to get to the square...

That is a normal, real condition, so vols (indicative) is correct.

The verb arribar usually takes the preposition a when talking about arriving at a place.

So:

• arribar a casa = to arrive home
• arribar a la ciutat = to arrive in/at the city
• arribar a la plaça = to arrive at the square

For an English speaker, this is worth remembering because English sometimes uses to, sometimes nothing, and sometimes at, but Catalan commonly uses a here.

The ç in Catalan is called ce trencada, and it represents an s sound.

So plaça is pronounced roughly like PLA-sa.

The ç is used before a, o, u to keep that s sound. Without it, c before a would normally sound like k.

So:

• plaça sounds like plasa, not plaka

Because Catalan uses the present subjunctive for the negative imperative.

So for girar (to turn):

• positive command: gira = turn
• negative command: no giris = don’t turn

This is very important:

• Gira a la dreta. = Turn right.
• No giris a la dreta. = Don’t turn right.

So even though the sentence is a command, the negative form uses the subjunctive pattern.

It comes from the verb girar (to turn), using the present subjunctive form for tu.

Present subjunctive of girar:

• jo giri
• tu giris
• ell/ella giri
• nosaltres girem
• vosaltres gireu
• ells/elles girin

In a negative command addressed to tu, Catalan uses no giris.

Catalan normally uses the expression a la dreta for to the right / right in directions.

Similarly:

• a l’esquerra = to the left
• a la dreta = to the right

This is simply the standard directional phrase. English often says turn right, but Catalan prefers girar a la dreta.

Del is the contraction of de + el.

• de = of / from
• el = the
• del = of the / from the

So:

• després del pont = after the bridge

This kind of contraction is very common in Catalan:

• de + el = del
• a + el = al

Because de + el normally contracts to del in standard Catalan.

So després del pont is the correct form.

Using de el separately would sound wrong in normal Catalan.

Continua is the tu form of the positive imperative of continuar (to continue), and recte means straight or straight ahead.

So:

• continua = continue
• recte = straight ahead

In directions, recte functions like an adverb in English: go straight / continue straight ahead.

Because Catalan forms positive and negative commands differently for tu.

For tu:

• positive command usually uses the imperative form
  
  • continua = continue
• negative command uses the present subjunctive
  
  • no giris = don’t turn

So the sentence combines both patterns:

• no giris... = negative command
• continua... = positive command

The semicolon separates two closely related instructions:

• no giris a la dreta després del pont
• continua recte

It works like a stronger comma or a softer full stop. It shows that the second instruction is directly connected to the first one.

You could think of it as:

• Don’t turn right after the bridge; keep going straight.

Very often, yes. In Catalan, recte is a common word in directions meaning straight or straight ahead.

Examples:

• Vés recte. = Go straight.
• Continua recte. = Continue straight.
• Segueix recte. = Keep going straight.

So this is a very useful pattern to remember for giving or understanding directions.