Quan la pantalla s'encén, la meva filla mira el correu.

Quan means when.

Here it introduces a time clause: Quan la pantalla s'encén = When the screen turns on / lights up.

It comes first because Catalan, like English, often puts the time clause at the beginning:

• Quan la pantalla s'encén, la meva filla mira el correu.
• La meva filla mira el correu quan la pantalla s'encén.

Both are possible. The first version puts a little more focus on the timing.

The s' is a reduced form of es, a reflexive/pronominal particle.

• encendre = to light, to switch on something
• encendre's / encendre’s is not the usual dictionary form, but in actual use encendre's idea shows up as encendre'something זיך? No — more naturally:
• encendre can be used transitively: Encenc la pantalla = I turn on the screen
• encendre's-type pronominal use appears in expressions like La pantalla s'encén = The screen turns on / lights up

So s'encén means something like turns on itself or simply comes on.

The apostrophe appears because es becomes s' before a vowel:

• es encén → s'encén

It is present tense, third person singular.

The verb is encendre and here the form is:

• (ella / això) s'encén = it turns on

Even though English sometimes uses the present too in time clauses, it can still feel surprising to learners. Catalan uses the present very naturally here for a habitual or general situation:

• Quan la pantalla s'encén, ... = When the screen turns on, ...

This does not have to mean only right now. It can describe something that regularly happens.

The accent in encén shows the stressed vowel and helps distinguish forms.

In Catalan, accent marks are important for both pronunciation and, sometimes, meaning. In encén, the stress falls on the last syllable:

• en-cén

So the accent helps signal the correct pronunciation.

Catalan often uses the definite article with possessives:

• la meva filla = my daughter
• el meu pare = my father
• la nostra casa = our house

This is more standard in Catalan than omitting the article.

So while English says simply my daughter, Catalan usually says the my daughter literally, though of course you should translate it as just my daughter.

They break down like this:

• la = the (feminine singular)
• meva = my (feminine singular form)
• filla = daughter

Because filla is feminine singular, both the article and possessive agree with it:

• la meva filla = my daughter

Compare:

• el meu fill = my son
• la meva filla = my daughter

Literally, mirar often means to look at.

But in many contexts, especially with things like messages, screens, or email, mirar can mean:

• look at
• check
• watch
• sometimes even read, depending on context

So mira el correu is very naturally understood as:

• checks the email
• looks at the email
• possibly reads the email

The best English translation depends on context.

Catalan often uses the article where English would not.

So:

• mira el correu literally = looks at the mail / the email
• natural English = checks email or checks the email

Also, correu can mean:

• mail/post
• email, depending on context

If you want to be more explicit, Catalan can also say:

• correu electrònic = email

But in modern everyday use, correu often works fine by itself if the context is digital.

It could mean either in isolation, but in this sentence email is the more likely interpretation because of the context:

• the screen turns on
• she checks the mail/email

That sounds like a phone, tablet, or computer, so email is probably what is meant.

Still, the word correu by itself can mean:

• postal mail
• email

Context tells you which one is intended.

Yes. A very natural alternative is:

• La meva filla mira el correu quan la pantalla s'encén.

This means the same thing.

Putting Quan la pantalla s'encén first makes the time setting come first. Putting it at the end makes the main action come first.

Both are grammatical and common.

Because the sentence begins with a subordinate time clause:

• Quan la pantalla s'encén, ...
• When the screen turns on, ...

Using a comma here is standard and helps readability.

If the time clause comes at the end, the comma is usually omitted:

• La meva filla mira el correu quan la pantalla s'encén.

Usually it sounds like a habitual or general action:

• Whenever the screen turns on, my daughter checks her email
• When the screen turns on, my daughter checks email

Catalan present tense is often used for habits, routines, and general truths, just like English present tense.

If the speaker wanted to make a one-time event more explicit, the surrounding context would usually make that clear.

A simple learner-friendly approximation would be:

• s'encén ≈ sen-SEN
• correu ≈ ko-REW

A few notes:

• In s'encén, the s' links directly to the next word.
• In encén, the last syllable is stressed.
• In correu, the ending -eu forms a diphthong.

Exact pronunciation varies somewhat by dialect, but those approximations will get you close.

Yes. That is also correct:

• Quan s'encén la pantalla, la meva filla mira el correu.

Catalan often allows the subject to appear after the verb, especially in clauses like this.

Compare:

• Quan la pantalla s'encén...
• Quan s'encén la pantalla...

Both mean When the screen turns on...
The first is a bit more straightforward for learners, but both are natural.

It has two parts:

1. Quan la pantalla s'encén
   a subordinate time clause = When the screen turns on

2. la meva filla mira el correu
   the main clause = my daughter checks the email

So the overall structure is:

• When X happens, Y happens.

That pattern is extremely common in Catalan and useful to learn early.