Avui no treballo, però sí que vull caminar al parc.

Catalan often drops subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

• treballo = I work
• vull = I want

So Avui no treballo already means Today I’m not working, even without jo.

You could say Jo avui no treballo... for extra emphasis, but it is not necessary.

Avui means today. Putting it first sets the time right away, which is very natural in Catalan.

Catalan is fairly flexible with word order, so you could also hear:

• No treballo avui
• Avui no treballo

Both are possible, but Avui no treballo sounds very natural because it introduces the situation first: Today, I’m not working...

In Catalan, no normally goes directly before the conjugated verb.

• no treballo = I do not work / I’m not working
• no vull = I do not want

So the pattern is:

• no + verb

This is different from English, which uses do not in many cases.

Treballo comes from the verb treballar, meaning to work.

The ending -o shows first person singular in the present tense:

• jo treballo = I work
• tu treballes = you work
• ell/ella treballa = he/she works

So in this sentence, treballo tells you the subject is I, even though jo is not written.

Però means but.

It connects two contrasting ideas:

• Avui no treballo = Today I’m not working
• però sí que vull caminar al parc = but I do want to walk in the park

Also note the spelling: Catalan writes it as però with a grave accent on ò.

Sí que adds emphasis. It is like saying:

• but I really do want to walk in the park
• but I do want to walk in the park

So:

• però vull caminar al parc = neutral
• però sí que vull caminar al parc = more emphatic, often contrasting with the first clause

In this sentence, the speaker is saying: I’m not working today, but I definitely do want to walk in the park.

The que is part of this emphatic structure. It does not mean that in the usual sense here.

Because after vull (I want), Catalan uses an infinitive, just like English uses to walk after want.

• vull caminar = I want to walk
• vull menjar = I want to eat
• vull dormir = I want to sleep

So the pattern is:

• vull + infinitive

You do not conjugate the second verb here.

Caminar means to walk.

In context, vull caminar al parc means something like:

• I want to walk in the park
• I want to go walking in the park

Depending on context, it can sound like simple movement on foot or the activity of going for a walk.

Because a + el contracts to al in Catalan.

• a + el parc → al parc

So:

• al parc = to the park or in the park, depending on context

This kind of contraction is very common in Catalan.

It can mean either, depending on the verb and the context.

With caminar al parc, the idea is often to walk in the park or to walk at the park. In natural English, in the park is usually the best translation here.

Catalan sometimes uses a/al where English prefers in.

Vull can be tricky for English speakers.

A rough guide is:

• vull sounds approximately like booly without the final -y, or vuy depending on accent and variety

The exact pronunciation varies across Catalan dialects, especially the ll sound.

The important thing for learners is to recognize it as the common form of voler for I want.

Yes. The verbs are in the present tense:

• treballo = I work / I am working
• vull = I want

In Catalan, the present tense often covers both the simple present and the present progressive meaning, depending on context.

So Avui no treballo can naturally mean:

• Today I don’t work
• Today I’m not working

In this sentence, I’m not working today is the most natural English meaning.