La bicicleta estàtica és al costat de la màquina.

In Catalan, adjectives often come after the noun, especially when they classify the noun rather than just describe it.

So bicicleta estàtica means a specific type of bicycle: an exercise bike / stationary bike. This is very natural word order in Catalan.

Because adjectives in Catalan usually agree with the noun in gender and number.

• bicicleta is feminine singular
• so the adjective must also be feminine singular: estàtica

If the noun were masculine, you would use estàtic instead.

This is a very common learner question.

In Catalan, ser and estar do not work exactly like Spanish or English. For location, Catalan often uses ser in neutral statements of where something is:

• La bicicleta estàtica és al costat de la màquina.

In everyday speech, many speakers also use estar for physical location:

• La bicicleta estàtica està al costat de la màquina.

So és here is normal and correct. Està may also be heard, especially in more colloquial speech or when emphasizing the current position.

Al costat de is a fixed expression meaning next to, beside, or literally at the side of.

Its parts are:

• a = at / to
• el costat = the side
• de = of

So literally, al costat de la màquina means at the side of the machine.

Because al does not go with màquina. It goes with costat.

• al = a + el
• el costat is masculine
• then de la màquina tells you whose side it is

So the structure is:

• és al costat = is at the side
• de la màquina = of the machine

That is why you get al even though màquina is feminine.

Catalan uses definite articles very regularly.

Here, la bicicleta estàtica and la màquina both refer to specific, identifiable things, so the article is natural:

• la bicicleta estàtica
• la màquina

Catalan often keeps the article in places where English might sometimes leave it out.

The accent marks help show stress, and in Catalan they can also help show vowel quality.

• és: the accent distinguishes it from es and marks the stressed form
• estàtica: the accent shows the stress falls on tà
• màquina: the accent shows the stress falls on mà

A simple way to hear them is:

• ÉS
• es-TÀ-ti-ca
• MÀ-qui-na

So the accents are important both for correct spelling and pronunciation.