La sopa no és amarga, però és massa salada avui.

Catalan, like Spanish, often uses two verbs that can both translate as to be:

• ser → used for inherent qualities, classification, and general description
• estar → used more for states, location, or temporary conditions in many contexts

In this sentence, amarga and salada describe the soup’s taste as a quality, so és from ser is the normal choice:

• La sopa és amarga
• La sopa és massa salada

Even though the soup might only be too salty today, Catalan still commonly uses ser for flavor descriptions.

Because they agree with sopa, which is a feminine singular noun.

In Catalan, adjectives usually agree in gender and number with the noun they describe:

• sopa → feminine singular
• therefore: amarga, salada → feminine singular forms

Compare:

• el cafè és amarg → masculine singular
• la sopa és amarga → feminine singular
• els plats són salats → masculine plural
• les patates són salades → feminine plural

Catalan often uses the definite article more naturally than English does.

So La sopa no és amarga... is the normal way to say The soup isn’t bitter..., even when English might simply say Soup isn’t bitter in context.

In Catalan, leaving out the article here would usually sound unnatural.

In standard Catalan, negation is normally formed by putting no directly before the verb:

• no és = is not
• no menja = does not eat
• no tinc = I do not have

So:

• La sopa no és amarga

This is the regular and expected word order.

Catalan often leaves out the subject when it is already clear from context. This is very common because the verb form helps show what is going on.

So instead of saying:

• La sopa no és amarga, però la sopa és massa salada avui

Catalan naturally says:

• La sopa no és amarga, però és massa salada avui

The subject in the second part is still understood to be la sopa.

Massa means too or too much.

In this sentence it modifies the adjective salada:

• massa salada = too salty

This is different from simply saying:

• salada = salty
• massa salada = too salty

So massa adds the idea that the amount of salt is excessive.

Yes, avui can often move around, but the position at the end is very natural.

Here:

• La sopa no és amarga, però és massa salada avui.

This sounds fine and natural.

You could also hear:

• Avui, la sopa no és amarga, però és massa salada.
• La sopa avui no és amarga, però és massa salada.

Placing avui at the end often gives it a light, natural time-reference: the soup is too salty today.

Però means but.

It links two contrasting ideas:

• not bitter
• but too salty

So it works just like English but in this sentence.

A useful point: the accent matters.

• però = but

Catalan spelling uses accents to show stress and sometimes to distinguish words.

Because the subject is still la sopa, which is third person singular, so the verb stays the same:

• la sopa és
• la sopa no és
• (ella) és

Even though the sentence has two clauses, the subject does not change, so és is correct in both parts.

Then both the verb and the adjectives would need to agree in the plural.

Singular:

• La sopa no és amarga, però és massa salada avui.

Plural:

• Les sopes no són amargues, però són massa salades avui.

Changes:

• La → Les
• és → són
• amarga → amargues
• salada → salades

This shows how important agreement is in Catalan.

És has an acute accent because that is its correct written form in Catalan and it helps mark the stressed vowel.

It is the 3rd person singular form of ser:

• jo sóc
• tu ets
• ell/ella és

The accent also helps distinguish it from es, which is a pronoun in Catalan.

So:

• és = is
• es = reflexive/object pronoun, depending on context

That accent is important and should not be omitted in correct writing.