Abans de marxar, la meva mare ha donat una abraçada a la tieta i un petó a l'oncle.

Because after abans de (before), Catalan often uses an infinitive when the subject is understood from the main clause.

So:

• Abans de marxar = before leaving
• here, the person understood to be leaving is most naturally la meva mare

If the subject is different or you want to state it more explicitly, Catalan usually uses abans que + subjunctive:

• Abans que marxés la meva mare... = before my mother left
• Abans que jo marxés... = before I left

So abans de + infinitive is the normal compact structure when English would say before leaving.

Normally, it is understood to be the same subject as in the main clause: la meva mare.

So the sentence is interpreted as:

• Before leaving, my mother gave...

If Catalan wanted to make it clear that someone else was leaving, it would usually not use this bare infinitive structure. It would switch to something like abans que...

That is a very useful rule for learners:

• preposition + infinitive often implies the same subject
• abans que + finite verb is used when the subject needs to be different or explicit

Because Catalan normally uses the definite article with possessives:

• la meva mare = my mother
• el meu pare = my father
• la seva casa = his/her/their house

This is one of the big differences from English.

So in standard Catalan, la meva mare is the normal pattern, not meva mare.

Also, Catalan often allows la mare by itself when the context already makes it clear whose mother is meant. But in your sentence, la meva mare is perfectly natural and explicit.

Ha donat is the present perfect:

• ha = has
• donat = given

It is formed with:

• haver
  • past participle

So:

• ha donat = has given

A learner may notice that Catalan can also use another past form, especially in narration:

• va donar

Both are common in Catalan, but they are not always used in exactly the same way in every variety. In this sentence, ha donat simply presents the action as completed before now.

Because this is a very natural idiomatic pattern in Catalan, just as English can say:

• give someone a hug
• give someone a kiss

So:

• donar una abraçada = give a hug
• donar un petó = give a kiss

Catalan also has other ways to express similar ideas:

• abraçar = to hug
• besar = to kiss
• fer un petó = to give a kiss / to kiss

But donar una abraçada and donar un petó are completely normal and very common.

Because in this sentence, the hug and the kiss are the things being given, and the aunt and the uncle are the recipients.

So grammatically:

• una abraçada = direct object
• un petó = direct object
• a la tieta = indirect object
• a l'oncle = indirect object

Catalan marks that recipient with a:

• donar alguna cosa a algú = to give something to someone

That is why the sentence is not built like hugged the aunt. It is built like gave a hug to the aunt.

They are indirect objects here.

A quick way to see it:

What did the mother give?

• una abraçada
• un petó

To whom did she give them?

• a la tieta
• a l'oncle

So the recipients are indirect objects.

If Catalan used a different verb, the grammar could change. For example:

• La meva mare ha abraçat la tieta.

Here la tieta is a direct object, because the verb is abraçar rather than donar una abraçada.

Basically yes, but tieta often sounds more affectionate or familiar.

• tia = aunt
• tieta = literally a diminutive form, but very often just a warm, everyday way to say aunt

It does not necessarily mean a physically small aunt. Diminutives in Catalan often express affection, closeness, or informality rather than actual size.

So in family contexts, tieta is very natural.

Because the article el becomes l' before a vowel.

So:

• el oncle becomes l'oncle

After the preposition a, you get:

• a + l'oncle = a l'oncle

You only get al when the article stays el:

• a + el pare = al pare

But with a vowel-initial noun:

• a + l'oncle = a l'oncle
• not al oncle

Yes. Catalan word order is flexible enough for that.

For example:

• La meva mare ha donat una abraçada a la tieta i un petó a l'oncle abans de marxar.

That is also grammatical.

Putting Abans de marxar at the beginning gives it a little more prominence, setting the scene first. English does the same:

• Before leaving, ...
• ..., before leaving

So the choice is mostly about emphasis and flow.

Often yes, if the context already makes it obvious.

Catalan frequently uses family words with just the article:

• la mare
• el pare
• l'avi

Depending on the context, la mare can naturally mean my mother, his mother, our mother, etc.

But if the speaker wants to be explicit, or if there could be ambiguity, la meva mare is clearer.

So both are possible in the right context:

• la mare
• la meva mare

Because Catalan, like English, usually avoids repeating the same verb when one verb clearly governs both parts.

So:

• ha donat una abraçada a la tieta i un petó a l'oncle

is more natural and efficient than repeating ha donat.

This is just normal coordination:

• one verb
• two direct objects
• two corresponding recipients

English does the same:

• She gave a hug to her aunt and a kiss to her uncle.

Yes, but the result depends on what you want to replace.

For example, if the recipients are already understood from context, Catalan could use weak pronouns. But because there are two different recipients here, the sentence becomes less neat if you try to replace both at once.

The full noun phrases in your sentence are actually the clearest option:

• a la tieta
• a l'oncle

That is one reason this version is very natural for learners to study: it shows the structure clearly without clitic complications.