This is the 3111th most frequent Catalan word.
parar
To stop or to prepare.
In this sentence, 'parar' is used to indicate stopping a moving object, specifically the car.
Vaig parar el cotxe per saludar a un amic.
I stopped the car to greet a friend.
Here, 'parar' is used to describe the act of setting or preparing something, in this case, the table for dining.
Per dinar, he parat la taula amb vaixella nova.
For lunch, I set the table with new dishes.
In this context, 'parar' is used in the idiomatic expression 'parar atenció,' which means to pay attention.