No puc estudiar perquè hi ha soroll al carrer.

Puc is the 1st person singular form of poder, which means to be able to / can.

• jo puc = I can
• no puc = I can’t

So No puc estudiar means I can’t study.

A few useful forms of poder in the present:

• jo puc = I can
• tu pots = you can
• ell/ella pot = he/she can
• nosaltres podem = we can
• vosaltres podeu = you all can
• ells/elles poden = they can

After puc, Catalan uses the infinitive of the next verb.

So:

• puc estudiar = I can study
• puc menjar = I can eat
• puc dormir = I can sleep

This is similar to English can study, not can studying.

Also, unlike English to study, Catalan does not use a separate word for to here. So:

• puc estudiar = I can study
• not puc a estudiar

Here perquè means because.

So the structure is:

• No puc estudiar = I can’t study
• perquè hi ha soroll al carrer = because there is noise in the street

A very common learner question is the difference between:

• perquè = because
• per què = why / for what reason
• per a què = what for

Examples:

• No vinc perquè estic cansat. = I’m not coming because I’m tired.
• Per què no véns? = Why aren’t you coming?

Hi ha means there is or there are.

It is one of the most common Catalan expressions.

Examples:

• Hi ha soroll. = There is noise.
• Hi ha molta gent. = There are a lot of people.
• Hi ha un cotxe al carrer. = There is a car in the street.

Even though ha comes from haver, you should learn hi ha as a fixed expression meaning there is / there are.

In hi ha, hi is an adverbial particle that is part of the standard expression for there is / there are.

For most learners, the simplest approach is:

• memorize hi ha = there is / there are

You usually do not say just ha soroll for there is noise. The normal form is hi ha soroll.

Because soroll here is being used as an uncountable noun, like noise in English.

So:

• hi ha soroll = there is noise

If you say un soroll, that usually means a noise, meaning one specific sound.

Compare:

• Hi ha soroll al carrer. = There is noise in the street.
• He sentit un soroll. = I heard a noise.

Al is a contraction of:

• a + el = al

So:

• al carrer = in the street / on the street

Examples:

• Vaig al mercat. = I’m going to the market.
• És al cotxe. = It’s in the car.
• Hi ha soroll al carrer. = There is noise in the street.

This contraction is very common in Catalan.

In Catalan, standard negation is usually made by putting no before the verb.

So:

• Puc estudiar. = I can study.
• No puc estudiar. = I can’t study.

This is very straightforward and works with many verbs:

• No vull = I don’t want
• No tinc temps = I don’t have time
• No entenc = I don’t understand

This sentence has a very natural, neutral word order:

• No puc estudiar perquè hi ha soroll al carrer.

It is a standard way to say:

• statement
• followed by reason

Catalan word order is somewhat flexible, but this version is the most normal for everyday use.

You might also hear a slight variation such as:

• Perquè hi ha soroll al carrer, no puc estudiar.

That is possible, but it sounds more marked or emphatic. The original sentence is the most neutral choice.

Yes. Like English can, poder can express:

• ability: No puc estudiar = I can’t study
• possibility: No puc venir avui = I can’t come today
• permission in some contexts: Puc entrar? = Can I come in?

In your sentence, No puc estudiar is most naturally understood as I’m not able to study, because the noise is preventing it.

Yes, that is also very natural.

• Hi ha soroll al carrer. = There is noise in the street.
• Hi ha molt soroll al carrer. = There is a lot of noise in the street.

Adding molt makes the reason stronger or more explicit, but the original sentence is already perfectly correct and natural.

The accent in perquè helps show the stress.

The stressed part is the last syllable:

• per-QUÈ

That is different from some related forms, and the accent helps distinguish them in writing.

For a learner, the most useful thing is simply:

• recognize perquè with an accent as because
• stress the final syllable

Yes. In many contexts, English may prefer either in the street or on the street, but Catalan al carrer covers that idea naturally.

So:

• Hi ha soroll al carrer can be translated as
  • There is noise in the street
  • There is noise on the street

The best English choice depends on the situation, but the Catalan is completely natural either way.