Program pranja ovisi o nazivnom kapacitetu.

Because pranja specifies what kind of program it is.

• program = program
• pranja = of washing

So program pranja literally means program of washing, which in natural English is usually washing program or wash cycle.

This is a very common Croatian pattern: noun + genitive noun to describe another noun.

Pranja is the genitive singular form of pranje.

• pranje = washing
• pranja = of washing

After a noun like program, Croatian often uses the genitive to show what the program is for or related to. That is why you get:

• program pranja = washing program
• not program pranje

So the -a ending shows case, not plural.

Ovisi is the 3rd person singular present tense of ovisiti = to depend.

It is singular because the subject is singular:

• program = singular
• therefore program ... ovisi = the program depends

If the subject were plural, the verb would change:

• Programi pranja ovise ... = Washing programs depend ...

Because ovisiti is a verb that normally goes with o + locative in Croatian.

So you learn it as a chunk:

• ovisiti o = to depend on

Examples:

• Ovisi o vremenu. = It depends on the weather.
• Sve ovisi o tebi. = Everything depends on you.

This is just something to memorize with the verb, like English depend on.

After o, Croatian normally uses the locative case.

The basic form is:

• nazivni kapacitet = nominal/rated capacity

After o, both words change into the locative singular:

• nazivni → nazivnom
• kapacitet → kapacitetu

So:

• o nazivnom kapacitetu = on/about the nominal capacity, but with ovisiti o it means depend on the rated capacity

Because the adjective has to match the noun in case, number, and gender.

The noun kapacitet is masculine singular, and after o it is in the locative singular:

• kapacitet → kapacitetu

So the adjective must also be masculine singular locative:

• nazivni → nazivnom

This agreement is normal in Croatian:

• nazivni kapacitet
• o nazivnom kapacitetu

In technical language, nazivni usually means nominal, rated, or nameplate.

So nazivni kapacitet is not really about a name in the everyday sense. It means the officially stated or rated capacity of the machine.

In appliance manuals, a natural English translation is often:

• rated capacity
• sometimes nominal capacity

Yes. In the context of washing machines, program pranja often corresponds naturally to wash cycle in English.

So depending on context, these can all work:

• washing program
• wash program
• wash cycle

The Croatian phrase itself is broad enough to allow that kind of translation.

Yes, you could, but it is not exactly the same style.

• program pranja = a compact, standard noun phrase, very common in manuals and labels
• program za pranje = literally program for washing

Both are understandable, but program pranja sounds more natural in technical or product language.

No, Croatian word order is fairly flexible.

The neutral order here is:

• Program pranja ovisi o nazivnom kapacitetu.

You could also move parts around for emphasis, for example:

• O nazivnom kapacitetu ovisi program pranja.

That is grammatical, but it sounds more marked and emphasizes what it depends on. In a manual, the original order is the most straightforward.

Because Croatian has no articles like a or the.

So:

• program can mean a program or the program
• nazivni kapacitet can mean a nominal capacity or the nominal capacity

The exact meaning comes from context. In this sentence, English usually needs the:

• The washing program depends on the rated capacity.

But Croatian does not need a separate word for that.

Yes. Ovisiti o is the standard and safest choice for learners.

You may sometimes hear related alternatives in different regions or varieties, but in standard Croatian—especially in writing and manuals—ovisiti o is the form to use.

So this sentence is perfectly normal standard Croatian.