Emisija buke je niska.

Because buke is the genitive singular of buka (noise).

In Croatian, when one noun is connected to another in the sense of X of Y, the second noun is often put in the genitive. So:

• emisija = emission
• buka = noise
• emisija buke = emission of noise / noise emission

So buke means of noise, not just noise as a standalone subject.

• emisija is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence.
• buke is in the genitive singular because it depends on emisija and means of noise.

So the structure is:

• Emisija = the emission
• buke = of noise

Together: noise emission.

Because niska has to agree with emisija, which is a feminine singular noun.

Croatian adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

Here:

• emisija = feminine singular
• therefore the adjective must also be feminine singular: niska

Compare:

• nizak = masculine singular
• niska = feminine singular
• nisko = neuter singular

Since the subject is emisija, only niska fits here.

Je means is. It is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb biti (to be).

So the sentence structure is:

• Emisija buke = noise emission
• je = is
• niska = low

Croatian often uses biti just like English uses to be in sentences such as X is low, X is good, X is important, and so on.

Very often, yes. Je is a clitic, and Croatian clitics usually come in the second position of the sentence or clause.

In this sentence:

• Emisija buke = first unit
• je = second-position clitic
• niska = rest of the sentence

So Emisija buke je niska sounds normal and standard.

You may also see word-order variations in Croatian, but clitic placement still follows its own rules.

Yes, that is possible, but it changes the focus or emphasis.

• Emisija buke je niska. = neutral, standard statement
• Niska je emisija buke. = puts more emphasis on low

Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order, but the neutral version is usually the best one for learners to start with.

It can mean both.

The adjective nizak / niska / nisko can describe:

• physical height: niska zgrada = a low building
• level, degree, amount, intensity: niska temperatura, niska cijena, niska emisija buke

So in this sentence, niska means low in the sense of a low level/amount of noise emission, not that something is physically short.

The dictionary forms are:

• emisija = emission
• buka = noise
• biti = to be
• nizak = low

Notice that some words change form in the sentence:

• buka becomes buke
• nizak becomes niska
• biti becomes je

Croatian has no articles, so there is no direct equivalent of English a, an, or the.

That means Emisija buke je niska could be understood as:

• The noise emission is low
• Noise emission is low
• sometimes even A noise emission is low, depending on context, though this is less natural in English

Usually, context tells you what is meant.

Yes. That is the literal structure.

• emisija buke = emission of noise

But in more natural English, this is usually expressed as:

• noise emission

So the Croatian phrase is built like noun + genitive noun, while English often prefers a compound noun.

Yes, especially in technical, legal, environmental, or product-related language.

You might see it in contexts like:

• machinery
• vehicles
• construction
• environmental regulations
• appliance specifications

In everyday conversation, people might more often just say something simpler involving buka if they are not speaking technically. But emisija buke is perfectly normal in formal or technical Croatian.

A rough pronunciation guide for an English speaker is:

eh-MEE-see-ya BOO-keh yeh NEES-kah

A few useful points:

• j is pronounced like English y
• š would sound like sh, but there is no š in this sentence
• k and b are always clearly pronounced
• Croatian vowels are usually pure and short, without the glide you often hear in English

So:

• Emisija → eh-MEE-see-ya
• buke → BOO-keh
• je → yeh
• niska → NEES-kah

Sometimes, but not always.

• niska means low
• mala means small

In technical contexts like emisija buke, niska is usually the better choice because we are talking about a level or degree, not physical size.

So:

• Emisija buke je niska. = standard and natural
• Emisija buke je mala. = possible in some contexts, but less precise here

For measurements, levels, prices, temperatures, and similar ideas, Croatian often prefers nizak / niska / nisko.

The nominative plural of emisija is emisije.

So you could have:

• Emisije buke su niske. = Noise emissions are low.

Notice the changes:

• Emisija → Emisije
• je → su
• niska → niske

The adjective and verb both change to match the plural subject.