El propietari espera fora.

• El = the masculine singular definite article, the
• propietari = a masculine singular noun, owner / proprietor
• espera = the 3rd person singular present form of esperar
• fora = an adverb meaning outside

So grammatically, it is:

article + noun + verb + adverb

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

Here, espera tells you the subject is he/she/it or a singular noun. Since el propietari is already stated, adding a pronoun would be unnecessary.

This is normal in Catalan:

• El propietari espera fora.
• not usually El propietari ell espera fora.

In this sentence, it can naturally correspond to either waits or is waiting in English, depending on context.

Catalan often uses the simple present where English might prefer either:

• The owner waits outside
• The owner is waiting outside

If you want to make the ongoing action especially explicit, Catalan can also say:

• El propietari està esperant fora.

But the original sentence is completely normal and natural.

Espera is the present indicative, 3rd person singular, of esperar.

A few present-tense forms are:

• jo espero = I wait / I am waiting
• tu esperes = you wait
• ell/ella espera = he/she waits
• nosaltres esperem = we wait
• vosaltres espereu = you all wait
• ells/elles esperen = they wait

So in the sentence, espera agrees with el propietari, which is singular.

Because fora is an adverb, and in a basic neutral sentence it commonly comes after the verb.

So:

• espera fora = waits outside

This word order is very natural and unmarked in Catalan.

You can move adverbs around in some contexts for emphasis or style, but El propietari espera fora is the standard straightforward order.

Here, fora means outside.

It is an adverb, not a noun. It tells you where the waiting happens.

Compare:

• espera fora = waits outside
• és fora = is outside / is out

Depending on context, fora can also feel like out in English, but outside is the clearest match in this sentence.

Catalan normally uses the definite article when you mean a specific person: the owner.

So:

• el propietari = the owner

If you said just propietari by itself, it would usually not work as a normal complete noun phrase in this sentence.

If you wanted an owner, you would use:

• un propietari

So:

• El propietari espera fora. = the owner waits outside
• Un propietari espera fora. = an owner is waiting outside

Yes, in this sentence it is grammatically masculine because of both the noun and the article:

• el propietari = the male owner

The feminine form is:

• la propietària

So:

• La propietària espera fora. = the female owner waits outside

In some contexts, the masculine form can be used generically, but in this exact sentence it is grammatically masculine singular.

You need to change both the noun and the verb:

• Els propietaris esperen fora. = the owners wait outside

Changes:

• el → els
• propietari → propietaris
• espera → esperen

If feminine plural:

• Les propietàries esperen fora.

It mainly means owner or proprietor.

In context, it can sometimes be translated as landlord, especially if you are talking about a rented flat or house and the owner is the person involved. But the basic meaning is still owner.

So the best English word depends on context:

• business context: owner / proprietor
• housing context: possibly owner or landlord

A simple learner-friendly approximation is:

el pru-pi-uh-TA-ri es-PE-ra FO-ra

The main stress falls on:

• propieTAri
• esPEra
• FOra

A few pronunciation notes:

• the r in Catalan is usually lighter than an English r
• j does not appear here, so there is nothing like the English j sound to worry about
• unstressed vowels may sound weaker depending on dialect

You do not need perfect pronunciation right away; the most important thing is getting the stress in roughly the right place.

You might see other word orders in poetry, literature, or for emphasis, but the neutral everyday version is:

El propietari espera fora.

That is the safest pattern for a learner.

If you move things around, the sentence can sound marked, dramatic, or unnatural in ordinary conversation. So for normal use, keep the original order.