Perilica-sušilica rublja jedva da radi.

Perilica-sušilica means washer-dryer: one machine that both washes and dries clothes.

It is a compound noun:

• perilica = washing machine / washer
• sušilica = dryer

The hyphen shows that these two functions are combined into one appliance.

Grammatically, the whole noun is:

• feminine
• singular

So it takes a singular verb: radi.

The hyphen is used because Croatian often joins two related nouns to describe one combined object.

So:

• perilica-sušilica = a single washer-dryer unit

Without that idea of combination, you might instead say:

• perilica i sušilica = a washer and a dryer

That would usually mean two separate machines, not one combined appliance.

Because rublja is the genitive singular form of rublje.

Here:

• rublje = laundry
• rublja = of laundry

So perilica-sušilica rublja literally means something like:

• washer-dryer of laundry

In natural English, of course, we just say washer-dryer or washer-dryer for laundry/clothes.

This genitive construction is very common in Croatian when one noun describes what something is used for.

Grammatically, rublje is treated as a singular collective noun.

That means it refers to a collection of things—laundry, clothes, linen—but the noun itself behaves like a singular noun in grammar.

So:

• nominative: rublje
• genitive: rublja

Even though the meaning may feel plural in English, Croatian treats it as a singular mass/collective noun.

Jedva da means barely, hardly, or only just.

In this sentence:

• jedva da radi = it barely works

The phrase adds a sense that the machine functions only with difficulty, almost not at all.

You will also hear:

• Jedva radi.

That means almost the same thing. The version with da often sounds a bit more emphatic or idiomatic.

In expressions like jedva da radi, da is part of a common Croatian structure that introduces the verb clause.

Compare:

• Jedva radi. = It barely works.
• Jedva da radi. = It barely works.

Both are correct.

The version with da often:

• sounds a little more expressive
• feels slightly more colloquial or idiomatic
• emphasizes how minimal the action is

So da is not translating directly as English that here. It is just part of the Croatian pattern.

Radi is the 3rd person singular present of raditi.

Here raditi means:

• to work
• to function
• to operate

So:

• Perilica-sušilica ... radi. = The washer-dryer works / is functioning.

It is singular because the subject perilica-sušilica is singular.

Also note that raditi can mean different things depending on context:

• Radim. = I work / I am working.
• Stroj radi. = The machine is working.

Because Croatian has no articles.

English needs:

• the washer-dryer
• a washer-dryer

Croatian simply says:

• perilica-sušilica

Whether it means the, a, or just the general idea depends on context.

That is completely normal in Croatian.

The given word order is natural, but Croatian word order is more flexible than English.

Neutral version:

• Perilica-sušilica rublja jedva da radi.

You may also hear:

• Perilica-sušilica rublja jedva radi.

Other orders are possible, but they can shift emphasis. For example:

• Jedva da radi perilica-sušilica rublja.

This sounds more marked or stylistic, because it foregrounds barely works.

So the original sentence is a good standard word order for everyday use.

Yes, you can say perilica-sušilica za rublje, and it is understandable.

Compare:

• perilica-sušilica rublja
• perilica-sušilica za rublje

The first uses the genitive and sounds compact and noun-based. The second uses za + accusative and can sound a bit more explicit: washer-dryer for laundry.

In product names and standard noun phrases, the genitive version is often very natural.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• Perilica-sušilica rublja jedva da radi
• pe-ri-li-tsa su-shi-li-tsa roo-blya yed-va da ra-di

A few helpful points:

• č / ć are not in this sentence, so no need to worry about those here.
• š sounds like sh
• j sounds like English y
• lj is a soft sound, roughly like ly in million for many learners
• r is rolled or tapped

So:

• rublja is roughly roo-blya
• jedva is roughly yed-va

Usually it means it almost doesn’t work at all.

So the focus is not mainly on speed, but on very weak or barely functioning operation.

Depending on context, it could imply things like:

• it turns on only sometimes
• it runs very poorly
• it is close to breaking down

If you specifically wanted to say it works slowly, Croatian would more naturally use something like:

• radi sporo = it works slowly

But jedva da radi suggests much more serious poor functioning than simple slowness.