Hauríem de netejar la cuina perquè ha caigut oli al costat del foc.

Hauríem de + infinitive is a very common way to say should or ought to in Catalan.

So hauríem de netejar means we should clean.

It comes from the verb haver, in the conditional:

• hauria de = I/he/she should
• hauríem de = we should
• haurien de = they should

Literally, it can feel a bit like would have to, but in normal Catalan it often expresses advice, recommendation, or a mild obligation.

Catalan usually leaves subject pronouns out when the verb already shows who the subject is.

In hauríem, the ending -íem already tells you it means we. So nosaltres is unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.

For example:

• Hauríem de marxar. = We should leave.
• Nosaltres hauríem de marxar, no ells. = We should leave, not them.

Because after hauríem de, Catalan uses the infinitive form of the main verb.

So:

• hauríem de netejar = should clean
• hauríem de sortir = should go out
• hauríem de parlar = should talk

This is similar to English using the base form after should.

Here la cuina means the kitchen, a specific kitchen that both speaker and listener know about.

Catalan normally uses the definite article in this kind of situation, just as English does:

• netejar la cuina = clean the kitchen

Without the article, cuina would usually sound incomplete or would need a different structure.

Also, remember that cuina can mean kitchen, but in other contexts it can relate to cooking as an activity or style, depending on how it is used.

These are different forms:

• perquè = because / sometimes so that
• per què = why / for what reason

In your sentence, perquè introduces the reason:

• ... perquè ha caigut oli... = ... because oil has fallen/spilled...

Compare:

• Per què netegem la cuina? = Why are we cleaning the kitchen?
• Netegem la cuina perquè hi ha oli. = We’re cleaning the kitchen because there is oil.

The accent helps distinguish them.

Ha caigut is the present perfect:

• ha = has
• caigut = fallen

Catalan often uses this form for something that happened and is relevant now. In this sentence, the oil has fallen/spilled, and the result matters now because the kitchen needs cleaning.

So ha caigut oli feels natural because the spill is a current problem.

A simple past such as va caure can also exist in Catalan, but ha caigut is very natural when the present consequence matters.

Yes. Caure basically means to fall, but Catalan can also use it for something like liquid or food accidentally ending up somewhere.

So ha caigut oli can mean something like:

• oil has fallen
• some oil has spilled
• oil has dripped down

If you want to emphasize the idea of spilling, Catalan can also use verbs like vessar-se, but caure is perfectly normal here.

Because oli is being treated as an unspecified amount of a mass noun, like oil in English.

So:

• ha caigut oli = some oil has fallen/spilled

If you used an article, it would sound more specific:

• ha caigut l’oli = the oil has fallen/spilled
  This suggests a particular oil already known in the conversation.

Mass nouns often work this way in Catalan.

Al costat de means next to, beside, or at the side of.

So:

• al costat del foc = next to the stove / burner / fire

In kitchen context, foc often refers not just to literal fire, but to the burner or hob/stovetop area.

So the phrase does not necessarily mean there is an actual visible flame on the floor; it usually means the oil fell near the cooking area.

They are contractions, and they are very common in Catalan:

• a + el = al
• de + el = del

So:

• al costat = at the side
• del foc = of the fire / stove

This is similar to contractions in some other Romance languages. In Catalan, you should expect these combinations regularly.

Literally, foc means fire. But in kitchen language, it often refers to a burner or the cooking ring/flame on a stove.

So in this sentence, al costat del foc is best understood as something like:

• next to the burner
• next to the stove
• next to the hob

The exact English translation depends on the kitchen setup, but the Catalan is very natural.

The accents help show stress and distinguish forms.

• hauríem has the stress on -rí-
• perquè has the stress on the last syllable

In Catalan, accents are important both for pronunciation and for telling words apart. For example:

• perquè = because
• per que or per què can mean different things

So the accents are not optional spelling details; they are part of the correct written form.