الشريط اللاصق والحبل على صندوق الكرتون.

Because this is a nominal sentence in Arabic. Arabic often says X on Y without using a present-tense verb like is/are.

So:

• الشريط اللاصق والحبل = the adhesive tape and the rope
• على صندوق الكرتون = on the cardboard box

Together, it means The adhesive tape and the rope are on the cardboard box, even though are is not written.

In the present tense, Arabic often leaves out is/are.

Literally, it is something like:

• الشريط = the strip / the tape
• اللاصق = the adhesive / sticking

So الشريط اللاصق means adhesive tape.

This is a very normal Arabic way to build a noun phrase: a noun followed by an adjective.

Because اللاصق is an adjective describing الشريط, and in Arabic adjectives must match the noun they describe in things like:

• definiteness
• gender
• number
• case

Since الشريط is definite (the tape), the adjective must also be definite:

• الشريط اللاصق = the adhesive tape

If the noun were indefinite, the adjective would also be indefinite:

• شريط لاصق = adhesive tape / a sticky tape

و simply means and.

So:

• الشريط اللاصق = the adhesive tape
• والحبل = and the rope

Together: الشريط اللاصق والحبل = the adhesive tape and the rope

Because it is also a definite noun: the rope.

Arabic usually makes each coordinated noun definite on its own:

• الشريط اللاصق والحبل = the adhesive tape and the rope

This is more natural than trying to make only the first noun definite and leaving the second one bare.

على means on or upon.

So:

• على صندوق الكرتون = on the cardboard box

It is a preposition, so the noun after it is in the genitive case in full formal grammar.

This is because صندوق الكرتون is an iḍāfa structure, often called a genitive construction or noun annexation.

In an iḍāfa:

• the first noun does not take الـ
• the second noun shows definiteness

So:

• صندوق الكرتون

literally looks like box of the cardboard/carton, but in natural English it means the cardboard box or the carton box.

A key rule: In iḍāfa, the first noun usually does not take الـ, even when the whole phrase is definite.

So صندوق الكرتون can still mean the cardboard box.

Not exactly.

It is not noun + adjective. It is more like noun + noun in an iḍāfa relationship:

• صندوق = box
• الكرتون = the cardboard / the carton

So the second noun helps specify the first noun.

A more explicitly material-based wording could be:

• صندوق من الكرتون = a box made of cardboard

But صندوق الكرتون is a common compact way to express cardboard box / carton box.

Because in this structure the second noun carries the definiteness.

Compare:

• صندوق كرتون = a cardboard box / a carton box
• صندوق الكرتون = the cardboard box / the carton box

So the الـ on الكرتون helps make the whole phrase definite.

The structure is:

• subject/topic: الشريط اللاصق والحبل
• predicate/comment: على صندوق الكرتون

So Arabic is essentially saying:

• The adhesive tape and the rope — on the cardboard box

This is a very common Arabic pattern for location.

Because the predicate here is a prepositional phrase (on the cardboard box), not an adjective or a verb that has to show plural agreement.

So Arabic does not need anything like are or a plural adjective here. The meaning are on is understood from the sentence structure itself.

In fully vowelled formal Arabic, it would be:

الشَّريطُ اللاصِقُ وَالحَبلُ على صُندوقِ الكَرتونِ

Very roughly:

• الشريطُ = nominative
• اللاصقُ = nominative adjective matching الشريط
• الحبلُ = nominative
• صندوقِ = genitive after على
• الكرتونِ = genitive as the second part of the iḍāfa

In normal writing, these endings are usually omitted.

Yes. Arabic could also use something like:

• يوجد الشريط اللاصق والحبل على صندوق الكرتون

This means something like There is adhesive tape and a rope on the cardboard box.

But the original sentence without a verb is very natural and common for simple description:

• الشريط اللاصق والحبل على صندوق الكرتون.