M'agrada més llegir a la nit que mirar la televisió.

Because agradar works differently from English to like.

In Catalan, agradar literally works more like to be pleasing to. So:

• M'agrada llegir = Reading is pleasing to me
• natural English meaning: I like reading

Here, m' is the short form of em, meaning to me.

So:

• M'agrada = It pleases me / I like it
• Jo agrado would mean I am pleasing / I am liked, which is a different idea.

M' is the apostrophized form of em, the unstressed pronoun meaning to me.

Before a vowel, em becomes m':

• em gusta would not be correct here
• m'agrada = it pleases me

This apostrophe is very common in Catalan:

• m'agrada
• t'agrada
• l'amic
• d'això

In this sentence, the main thing being said is that one activity is preferred over another: reading at night rather than watching television.

Catalan often treats an infinitive phrase like llegir or mirar la televisió as a single idea, so singular agrada is normal here.

The sentence is built around the idea:

• M'agrada més X que Y = I like X more than Y

So agrada agrees with the activity or idea being liked, not with me.

Més ... que ... is the standard pattern for comparison and means more ... than ....

So here:

• més llegir a la nit que mirar la televisió
• to like reading at night more than watching television

Other examples:

• M'agrada més el te que el cafè = I like tea more than coffee
• És més alt que jo = He is taller than me

Because in this sentence they refer to activities in a general sense: reading and watching.

Catalan often uses the infinitive where English might use either:

• an infinitive: to read
• or a gerund/noun form: reading

So:

• llegir = to read / reading
• mirar la televisió = to watch television / watching television

After agradar, infinitives are very common:

• M'agrada cuinar = I like cooking
• No m'agrada esperar = I don't like waiting

A la nit is the usual Catalan way to say at night / in the evening-night period.

The preposition a is part of the time expression:

• al matí = in the morning
• a la tarda = in the afternoon
• a la nit = at night / in the evening

So you should learn a la nit as a set expression.

They are related, but not always identical.

• a la nit usually means at night, referring to a time when something happens.
• de nit often means by night / during the night / at nighttime in a more general or descriptive sense.

Examples:

• Llegeixo a la nit = I read at night
• Els carrers són tranquils de nit = The streets are quiet at night

In your sentence, a la nit is the natural choice because it tells us when the person prefers to read.

For an English speaker, this can feel a bit surprising. In Catalan, mirar la televisió is the normal way to say to watch television.

So:

• mirar can mean to look at, but also to watch
• mirar la televisió = to watch TV

This is very common and natural Catalan.

Catalan often uses the definite article where English does not.

So:

• mirar la televisió = to watch television
• literally: to watch the television

This is normal Catalan usage. The article does not necessarily mean a specific TV set; it is just how the expression works.

Similar patterns exist in other Romance languages too.

Yes, that would also be understandable and natural.

Both verbs exist:

• mirar la televisió = to watch television
• veure la televisió = also possible, though mirar is especially common for the activity of watching

If you want the most everyday phrasing, mirar la televisió is a very good choice.

Because Catalan often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed.

The verb and the rest of the sentence already make the meaning clear, so jo is unnecessary:

• M'agrada més llegir... = I like reading... more...

You could say A mi m'agrada més... if you want emphasis:

• A mi m'agrada més llegir a la nit que mirar la televisió = I prefer reading at night rather than watching television

That sounds more emphatic, as if contrasting with someone else.

It can express either idea in English.

Literally, it is:

• I like reading at night more than watching television

But very naturally in English, you could also translate it as:

• I prefer reading at night to watching television

The Catalan structure with més ... que ... is a comparison, so both English versions are good depending on style.

This is a very standard and natural order.

Structure:

• M'agrada més
  • activity 1 + que
    • activity 2

So:

• M'agrada més llegir a la nit que mirar la televisió

You may hear variations for emphasis, but this version is clear and neutral. For a learner, this is the safest pattern to copy:

• M'agrada més X que Y