Hi ha molta gent a l'estació avui.

Hi ha is the normal Catalan way to say there is or there are.

So:

• Hi ha molta gent = There are a lot of people

It comes from the verb haver-hi, which is used for existence. A very important point for learners is that Catalan normally uses hi ha even when the thing that follows is plural:

• Hi ha un tren = There is a train
• Hi ha dos trens = There are two trains

So you should learn hi ha as a fixed expression meaning there is / there are.

Not in this sentence.

Even though hi can have a locative sense in other contexts, in hi ha you should usually treat it as part of a fixed expression. So hi ha does not mean here has or anything like that.

For a learner, the safest approach is:

• hi ha = there is / there are

Because gent is a singular feminine collective noun in Catalan.

Even though it means people in English, grammatically it behaves like a singular noun. So the quantifier has to agree with it:

• molta gent = a lot of people

Not:

• moltes gent
• molts gent

This is one of the biggest differences from English. English uses plural people, but Catalan often uses singular gent.

Grammatically, gent is singular.

It refers to a group of people, but the noun itself is treated as one collective unit. That is why you get:

• molta gent
• la gent
• Aquesta gent... in some contexts, though agreement can vary depending on structure and variety

For a basic learner, the key thing is:

• gent = meaning people
• but grammatically it is usually treated as singular feminine

A l'estació means at the station or in the station, depending on context.

Here is what is happening:

• a = at / to / in
• estació = station
• l' = the article before a vowel sound

Since estació starts with a vowel, the article is shortened:

• la estació does not stay that way
• it becomes l'estació

So:

• a + l'estació = a l'estació

Catalan often uses a to talk about location with places, especially in very common expressions like this one.

So a l'estació is completely natural for at the station.

Learners sometimes expect en because it can also relate to in, but a is extremely common and usually the safest choice in sentences like this.

So just learn:

• ser a casa = to be at home
• ser a l'escola = to be at school
• ser a l'estació = to be at the station

Yes. Catalan word order is fairly flexible, and avui can move depending on emphasis.

Your sentence:

• Hi ha molta gent a l'estació avui.

You could also say:

• Avui hi ha molta gent a l'estació.

Both are natural. The version with avui at the end sounds like the speaker is adding today as the time detail after giving the main information.

The h in ha is silent.

So you do not pronounce an English-style h sound there. In many accents, hi ha is pronounced as a smooth sequence, often sounding roughly like ee-A or even somewhat like ya, depending on the variety and speed of speech.

The main thing to remember is:

• do not pronounce a strong English h
• say it smoothly as one common expression

Yes, you could say:

• Hi ha moltes persones a l'estació avui.

That is grammatically correct. But molta gent is usually more natural and idiomatic for a lot of people in everyday Catalan.

A rough difference is:

• molta gent = very common, natural, general
• moltes persones = more explicit, sometimes slightly more formal or specific

So in ordinary conversation, molta gent is often the best choice.

Because the existential expression is hi ha, and because gent is grammatically singular.

So Catalan does not make the verb plural here. The same pattern appears even with clearly plural nouns:

• Hi ha molts turistes.
• Hi ha dues noies.

So although English distinguishes there is and there are, Catalan commonly uses hi ha for both.

It is about there being something somewhere.

That is why Catalan uses hi ha, not és or són.

Compare:

• Hi ha molta gent a l'estació. = There are a lot of people at the station.
• La gent és a l'estació. = The people are at the station.

The first sentence introduces existence/presence. The second talks about a specific group already known in the conversation.