La meva veïna sempre paga la factura amb targeta.

In Catalan, possessives are very often used together with the definite article. So la meva veïna literally looks like the my neighbor, but it simply means my neighbor.

This is normal in Catalan:

• el meu cotxe = my car
• la seva mare = his/her mother
• les nostres coses = our things

So in this sentence, la meva veïna is the standard way to say my neighbor.

Veïna is the feminine form of neighbor. The masculine form is veí.

So:

• el meu veí = my male neighbor
• la meva veïna = my female neighbor

Because the neighbor here is female, the article and possessive also agree in gender:

• la (feminine singular)
• meva (feminine singular)
• veïna (feminine singular)

The two dots over ï show that the i is pronounced in a separate syllable, not merged into a diphthong.

So veïna is pronounced roughly as:

• ve-i-na

without the diaeresis, a learner might wrongly try to pronounce it as one combined vowel sound.

You see the same idea in words like:

• països = countries
• raïm = grapes

Sempre means always, and in Catalan it commonly goes before the main verb:

• sempre paga = always pays

This is a very natural word order in Catalan. English often places always before the main verb too:

• She always pays

So this part of the sentence is quite similar to English.

Paga is the third person singular present form of the verb pagar = to pay.

The present-tense forms are:

• jo pago = I pay
• tu pagues = you pay
• ell/ella paga = he/she pays

Since la meva veïna is she, the sentence uses paga.

Catalan often uses the definite article where English may or may not use one, depending on context. Here, la factura means the bill.

In a sentence like this, it refers to the bill being paid, so using the article is completely natural:

• paga la factura = pays the bill

If you dropped the article, it would usually sound less natural in this context.

Not always. Factura can mean:

• bill
• invoice

The exact meaning depends on context.

For example:

• in a restaurant or utility context, it may be understood as bill
• in business or accounting, it may be better translated as invoice

So the word is broader than just one English equivalent.

Amb targeta means by card or with a card. In Catalan, when talking about a method of payment, transport, or means, it is very common to use the noun without an article.

So:

• pagar amb targeta = to pay by card
• anar amb tren can mean going by train in some contexts, though en tren is more common there

If you say amb una targeta, it emphasizes with a card / with one card. If you say amb la targeta, it means with the card, referring to a specific card.

So amb targeta is the most neutral and idiomatic choice here.

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly.

• amb targeta = by card, as a general payment method
• amb una targeta = with a card, emphasizing that some card was used
• amb la targeta = with the card, referring to a specific card already known

So if you just want the ordinary idea she always pays by card, amb targeta is the best choice.

The given order is the most neutral and natural:

• La meva veïna sempre paga la factura amb targeta.

Catalan does allow some movement for emphasis, but not all versions sound equally natural.

For example:

• La meva veïna paga sempre la factura amb targeta.
  This is possible, but slightly less neutral.
• Amb targeta, la meva veïna sempre paga la factura.
  This gives emphasis to amb targeta.

So yes, word order can change, but the original sentence is the most straightforward version.

A rough pronunciation guide for English speakers is:

lah MAY-vuh vay-EE-nuh SEM-pruh PAH-guh lah fuk-TOO-ruh ahm tar-JEH-tuh

A few notes:

• ll in meva is just l, since there is only one l
• v in many Catalan accents sounds close to b
• veïna has three syllables: ve-i-na
• targeta is stressed on -ge-

The natural stress pattern is roughly:

• La MEva veÏna SEMpre PAga la facTUra amb tarGEta

Yes.

Singular:

• la meva veïna = my neighbor
• la factura = the bill

Plural:

• les meves veïnes = my neighbors
• les factures = the bills

So you could say:

• Les meves veïnes sempre paguen les factures amb targeta.
  = My neighbors always pay the bills by card.

Notice that everything agrees in number:

• les
• meves
• veïnes
• paguen
• les factures

It is standard and widely understandable across Catalan-speaking areas.

That said, pronunciation and some vocabulary can vary by region. For example, some regions may prefer different everyday words in certain contexts, but this sentence is perfectly standard Catalan and would be recognized everywhere.

So for a learner, it is a very safe model sentence.