El despertador sona a les set cada matí.

Despertador means alarm clock.

In everyday Catalan, it can refer to:

• the physical clock/device
• sometimes the alarm function itself, depending on context

So in this sentence, El despertador is simply the alarm clock.

Sona comes from the verb sonar, which means:

• to sound
• to ring

So El despertador sona literally means The alarm clock sounds/rings.

In natural English, you might translate it as:

• The alarm clock rings
• The alarm goes off

Catalan often uses sonar where English uses ring or go off.

In Catalan, when telling the time something happens, you usually use a before the hour.

So:

• a les set = at seven

This is very similar to English at seven.

The structure is:

• a + article + time

Examples:

• a les vuit = at eight
• a les deu = at ten

There is one important exception:

• a la una = at one

Because una is singular, Catalan uses la instead of les.

Catalan normally uses the definite article when giving clock time.

So you say:

• la una = one o’clock
• les dues = two o’clock
• les set = seven o’clock

After a preposition of time:

• a la una = at one
• a les set = at seven

This can feel unusual to English speakers, because English does not say at the seven, but Catalan does use the article in this structure.

Because cada means each/every, and after cada, Catalan normally uses a singular noun.

So:

• cada matí = every morning
• not cada matins

This is similar to:

• cada dia = every day
• cada setmana = every week

So even though the meaning is repeated or habitual, the noun stays singular after cada.

Yes. Both are natural, and both mean every morning.

• cada matí = every morning
• tots els matins = every morning / all mornings

The difference is small:

• cada matí can feel a little more like each morning
• tots els matins can feel a little more like every morning in a repeated sense

In this sentence, either works:

• El despertador sona a les set cada matí.
• El despertador sona a les set tots els matins.

The present tense is used for habitual actions, just like in English.

So:

• sona = rings / does ring

Here it does not mean only right now. It means this is something that happens regularly.

So the sentence means that the alarm clock rings at seven as a routine.

This is the normal tense to use for habits in Catalan.

Yes. Catalan word order is fairly flexible.

The original sentence:

• El despertador sona a les set cada matí.

You could also say:

• Cada matí, el despertador sona a les set.

Both are correct. The second version emphasizes every morning a bit more because it comes first.

So the meaning stays basically the same, but the focus can shift slightly depending on word order.

Yes. El is the masculine singular definite article, meaning the.

So:

• el despertador = the alarm clock

It is used because despertador is a masculine singular noun.

Other common definite articles in Catalan are:

• el = the (masculine singular)
• la = the (feminine singular)
• els = the (masculine plural)
• les = the (feminine plural)

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

el des-per-ta-DOR SO-na a les SET CA-da ma-TI

A few helpful notes:

• despertador has the stress on the last syllable: -dor
• sona has stress on so
• matí has stress on the last syllable: -tí

If you are learning Central Catalan pronunciation, the final í in matí is clearly stressed. That stress is important.