Si no plou, la meva mare vol estendre la roba al balcó.

In Catalan, si can mean two different things depending on context:

• si = if
• sí = yes

The difference is the written accent:

• Si no plou... = If it doesn’t rain...
• Sí = Yes

So in this sentence, si without an accent is the conjunction if.

Plou is the normal way to say it is raining / it rains in Catalan.

Catalan often uses the simple present where English might use either:

• it rains
• it is raining

So:

• Si no plou = If it isn’t raining / If it doesn’t rain

You can say està plovent for emphasis on an action happening right now, but plou is the most natural everyday choice here.

Catalan usually does not need a dummy subject like English it in weather expressions.

English says:

• it rains
• it is snowing

Catalan simply says:

• plou = it rains / it is raining
• neva = it snows / it is snowing

So the subject is not expressed.

Catalan commonly uses the definite article before possessive + family nouns:

• la meva mare = my mother
• el meu pare = my father
• la seva germana = his/her sister

This is very normal in Catalan, even though English does not use the in this kind of phrase.

So la meva mare is the standard way to say my mother.

Yes, in some varieties and styles, ma mare is possible. It is a shorter possessive form.

For example:

• ma mare = my mother
• mon pare = my father

However, la meva mare is more broadly taught and widely understood, so it is a very safe choice for learners.

Vol is the conjugated form of the infinitive voler.

• voler = to want
• vol = he/she wants

In this sentence, the subject is la meva mare, so the verb must be third person singular:

• jo vull = I want
• tu vols = you want
• ell/ella vol = he/she wants

So:

• la meva mare vol = my mother wants

This is normal in Catalan, just as in English.

• vol = wants
• estendre = to hang out / to spread

So:

• vol estendre la roba = wants to hang out the clothes

After verbs like voler (to want), Catalan normally uses an infinitive directly, without an extra word like English to being translated separately.

Literally, estendre means to spread out, but with la roba it commonly means to hang out the washing / laundry to dry.

So estendre la roba is a very natural household expression.

Depending on context, English translations could be:

• hang out the clothes
• hang the laundry out to dry
• put the washing out

Catalan roba means clothes, clothing, or sometimes laundry depending on context.

It is a very common false friend for English speakers, because it looks like English robe, but it does not usually mean that.

Here:

• estendre la roba = hang out the clothes / laundry

So think of roba as clothing or washing, not robe.

Because a + el contracts in Catalan:

• a + el = al

So:

• al balcó = to/on the balcony

This is very common:

• al cotxe = to the car / in the car
• al carrer = to the street / in the street

So al balcó is just the normal contracted form.

The accent in balcó shows the stress falls on the last syllable:

• bal-CÓ

This is both a spelling and pronunciation guide. Without the accent, the stress pattern would be assumed differently.

So the written accent helps you pronounce it correctly.

The comma separates the conditional clause from the main clause:

• Si no plou, = If it doesn’t rain,
• la meva mare vol estendre la roba al balcó. = my mother wants to hang the clothes on the balcony.

This is very similar to English, where a comma is also commonly used when the if-clause comes first.

Yes. Once the person is already clear from context, Catalan often uses a pronoun or even omits it.

For example:

• Si no plou, vol estendre la roba al balcó. = If it doesn’t rain, she wants to hang the clothes on the balcony.

Catalan often drops subject pronouns because the verb form already helps identify the person.

If you wanted to include the pronoun for emphasis, you could say:

• Si no plou, ella vol estendre la roba al balcó.

But in neutral speech, the full noun phrase la meva mare or no pronoun at all is often more natural than explicitly using ella.

Catalan often uses the present tense in sentences about future conditions, especially after si.

So:

• Si no plou, la meva mare vol estendre la roba al balcó.

can refer to a present or near-future situation depending on context.

This is similar to English, which also does not normally say If it won’t rain in a neutral sentence like this. English usually says:

• If it doesn’t rain, my mother wants to hang the clothes on the balcony or more naturally,
• If it doesn’t rain, my mother wants to hang the clothes out on the balcony

So the use of present tense after si is normal.

In this sentence, on the balcony is the most natural English meaning.

Catalan a can cover meanings that English expresses with several prepositions, including to, at, in, and on, depending on context.

So:

• estendre la roba al balcó = hang the clothes on the balcony

Even though the Catalan uses a, you should not always translate it mechanically as to.