El dinar és al microones, però la carn encara és al congelador.

Al is a contraction of a + el:

• a = to / at / in
• el = the

So:

• al microones = in the microwave
• al congelador = in the freezer

This is very common in Catalan. Compare:

• a la nevera = in the fridge
• al forn = in the oven
• al cotxe = in the car

So al is not a separate dictionary word you usually learn by itself; it is just the normal contracted form of a + el.

This is one of the big questions English speakers often have.

In Catalan, ser can be used for location, especially with things, events, or when simply identifying where something is. So:

• El dinar és al microones
• La carn és al congelador

is perfectly natural.

English speakers often expect estar because Spanish uses estar for location almost all the time. Catalan is different.

A useful beginner guideline:

• ser: identification, description, and very often location
• estar: state, condition, or emphasis on being in a certain state/location

With objects in simple location statements, ser is very common and often preferred.

Sometimes you may hear està in everyday speech, especially in some contexts or regions, but in a neutral textbook-style sentence like this, és is very normal.

The difference is roughly this:

• és al microones = it is in the microwave
• està al microones = it is sitting/located in the microwave, with a bit more emphasis on its current placement or state

For a learner, the safest takeaway is:

• Do not assume Catalan follows Spanish here.
• With simple location of things, ser is often the standard choice.

Catalan uses the definite article more often than English does.

Here, el dinar and la carn refer to specific things that are understood in the situation:

• el dinar = the lunch / the meal
• la carn = the meat

Even when English might say lunch is in the microwave, Catalan often prefers el dinar.

This is very normal in Catalan. You will often see articles where English would leave them out.

It usually means lunch, especially the midday meal.

As a noun:

• el dinar = lunch

But depending on context, it can feel a bit broader, like the meal if the situation already makes it clear.

Also, dinar can be a verb:

• dinar = to have lunch

So Catalan learners should watch for both uses:

• El dinar és al microones. → noun
• Dinem a la una. → verb (We have lunch at one.)

In Catalan, microones is the usual word for microwave (short for microwave oven).

Literally, it comes from microones = microwaves.

You will often hear:

• el microones = the microwave
• Escalfa-ho al microones. = Heat it up in the microwave.

So even though English uses microwave as the appliance name, Catalan normally uses microones.

Encara means still here.

In Catalan, encara often goes before the verb:

• la carn encara és al congelador

That is the normal placement.

Compare:

• Encara dorm. = He/She is still sleeping.
• Encara no ha arribat. = He/She still hasn’t arrived.

So if you want to say still in similar sentences, placing encara before the verb is a good pattern to learn.

Yes. Depending on the sentence, encara can correspond to English still or yet.

Examples:

• Encara és aquí. = He/She is still here.
• Encara no ha arribat. = He/She hasn’t arrived yet.

In your sentence, the natural English translation uses still:

• la carn encara és al congelador = the meat is still in the freezer

So the exact English word depends on context, but the core idea is that something continues to be the case.

Però is the Catalan word for but, and it is normally written with a grave accent on the final ò.

So the correct spelling is:

• però = but

This is just the standard spelling; it is not optional.

It also helps show the stressed vowel and distinguish the written form clearly.

In this sentence, Catalan normally keeps the verb in both clauses:

• El dinar és al microones, però la carn encara és al congelador.

This is the clearest and most natural structure.

You generally should not try to copy English-style omission too much at beginner level. Catalan often prefers to keep the full clause, especially when each half has its own subject:

• el dinar ... és
• la carn ... és

So yes, repeating és is exactly what you would expect here.

Yes. El congelador means the freezer.

That is different from:

• la nevera = the fridge
• el frigorífic = the refrigerator
• el congelador = the freezer

So in the sentence, the meat is not just in the fridge; it is in the frozen compartment or freezer.

Then the contraction would change.

You have:

• a + el = al

But with a feminine singular noun:

• a + la = a la

For example:

• és a la nevera = it is in the fridge
• és a la cuina = it is in the kitchen

So if the sentence used nevera instead of congelador, you would say:

• La carn encara és a la nevera.

This is a very useful pattern to remember:

• al with masculine singular nouns
• a la with feminine singular nouns

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is roughly:

• mee-croh-OH-nes

The stress falls on the o syllable: microÒnes.

A few pronunciation notes:

• mi- like mee
• cro with a clear k sound before the r
• ones here is not like English ones; it sounds more like OH-nes

You do not need a perfect accent at first, but make sure the stress is not on the first syllable.