Al garatge de l'edifici hi ha bicicletes, però jo deixo la meva al carrer.

Al is a contraction of a + el:

• a = to / at / in (depending on context)
• el = the

So al garatge means in the garage or at the garage.

In this sentence, Al garatge de l'edifici means In the building's garage.

Catalan often uses this contraction, just like:

• al parc = in/to the park
• al carrer = in/on the street

Because edifici begins with a vowel, Catalan uses l' instead of el.

So:

• de + el normally becomes del
• but before a vowel, el becomes l'

That gives:

• de l'edifici = of the building

Compare:

• del cotxe = of the car
• de l'escola = of the school

So de l'edifici is the correct form because edifici starts with e.

Hi ha means there is or there are.

In this sentence:

• hi ha bicicletes = there are bicycles

This is one of the most common Catalan expressions.

A useful way to think of it:

• ha comes from the verb haver
• hi is a little word that helps form this existential meaning

You usually learn hi ha as a fixed expression:

• Hi ha un problema = There is a problem
• Hi ha molts cotxes = There are many cars

Because Catalan often leaves out the article after hi ha when speaking about things in a general or indefinite way.

So:

• hi ha bicicletes = there are bicycles
• not necessarily the bicycles

This is similar to English, where we also say there are bicycles, not usually there are the bicycles.

If you wanted to refer to specific bicycles, the article could appear in another context, but here the meaning is general/indefinite.

Yes, jo could be omitted, because Catalan often drops subject pronouns when the verb already shows who the subject is.

• deixo already means I leave

So both are possible:

• però jo deixo la meva al carrer
• però deixo la meva al carrer

Here, jo is probably included for contrast:

• there are bicycles in the garage, but I leave mine on the street

So jo adds emphasis, similar to English stress on I.

Yes, here deixo means I leave.

It is the 1st person singular present tense of deixar:

• deixar = to leave, to put, to let, depending on context
• deixo = I leave

In this sentence, it means I leave mine / I keep mine in that place.

Examples:

• Deixo el cotxe aquí = I leave the car here
• Deixo la bici al carrer = I leave the bike on the street

Because Catalan can omit the noun when it is obvious from context.

Here, la meva means mine, specifically my bicycle, because bicicletes was already mentioned.

A very important point: in Catalan, possessives like meu/meva often need the article when standing alone:

• la meva = mine / my one (feminine singular)
• el meu = mine / my one (masculine singular)

Since bicicleta is feminine singular, the sentence uses la meva.

Compare:

• el meu cotxe = my car
• el meu = mine (if car is understood)
• la meva bicicleta = my bicycle
• la meva = mine (if bicycle is understood)

Because Catalan usually uses the definite article with possessives, especially when the noun is omitted.

So:

• la meva bicicleta = my bicycle
• la meva = mine

Using meva alone would sound incomplete here.

This is different from English, where we can simply say mine without an article. In Catalan, the article is normally needed:

• el meu
• la meva
• els meus
• les meves

Literally, al carrer is a + el carrer = to/in/on the street.

In this sentence, the natural meaning is on the street or out on the street.

So:

• deixo la meva al carrer = I leave mine on the street

Catalan often uses a where English may use in, on, or at, depending on the expression.

So it is best to learn al carrer as a normal location phrase meaning on the street / outside on the street.

Both are possible, but starting with the location is very natural in Catalan.

This structure puts the place first:

• Al garatge de l'edifici hi ha bicicletes
• literally: In the building's garage there are bicycles

This is similar to English sentences like:

• In the garage, there are bicycles

So the sentence begins with the location because that is the setting the speaker wants to establish first.

Usually, no. In hi ha, it is best not to translate hi word-for-word.

In many beginner situations, you should treat hi ha as one unit meaning:

• there is
• there are

The word hi does have other uses in Catalan, often related to there or in that place, but in hi ha, learners normally memorize the whole expression first.

So for this sentence, the safest approach is:

• hi ha bicicletes = there are bicycles

Però means but.

It introduces a contrast:

• There are bicycles in the building's garage,
• but I leave mine on the street.

So the contrast is between:

• what exists or what others may do
• and what I do

That is also why jo sounds natural here: però jo... emphasizes the contrast.

From context and gender.

Earlier in the sentence, we have bicicletes, and bicicleta is feminine in Catalan. So when the speaker says la meva, it naturally means:

• my bicycle
• or more naturally in English, mine

The feminine singular form la meva matches la bicicleta.

If it referred to a masculine noun, it would be el meu instead.

Yes, garatge is the standard Catalan word for garage.

In this sentence:

• el garatge = the garage

So:

• Al garatge de l'edifici = In the building's garage

It is a very common everyday word.