Ako ništa drugo, poredak daje nadu.

Here Ako ništa drugo is best understood as an idiomatic expression meaning if nothing else, at least in that respect, or when all else fails.

So although ako normally means if, this whole phrase is not really introducing a full conditional sentence in the usual English sense. It works more like a discourse phrase:

• Ako ništa drugo, poredak daje nadu.
• If nothing else, order gives hope.

It suggests: even if other things are bad, uncertain, or unhelpful, poredak is at least one thing that still offers hope.

The comma separates the introductory phrase Ako ništa drugo from the main clause poredak daje nadu.

This is very natural in Croatian. The first part sets the frame or attitude of the sentence, and the comma marks that pause:

• Ako ništa drugo, = If nothing else,
• poredak daje nadu. = order gives hope.

It is similar to English punctuation in phrases like:

• At least, it helps.
• If nothing else, it gives hope.

Ništa is in the same form for nominative and accusative, so the case is not visually obvious from the word itself.

In the expression Ako ništa drugo, it functions as part of the fixed idiomatic phrase if nothing else. For a learner, the most useful thing is to remember the whole chunk rather than trying to force a very literal word-by-word analysis.

Also note:

• ništa = nothing
• drugo = other / else

Together, ništa drugo means nothing else.

Because drugo agrees with ništa.

Ništa is grammatically neuter singular, so the adjective also appears in the neuter singular form:

• ništa drugo = nothing else

Compare:

• drugi čovjek = another man / the second man
• druga knjiga = another book / the second book
• drugo pitanje = another question
• ništa drugo = nothing else

So drugo is the correct agreeing form here.

Poredak usually means order, arrangement, or systematic organization.

Depending on context, it can refer to:

• the arrangement of things
• social or political order
• a structured system
• proper sequence

In this sentence, it likely means something like order, structure, or a sense that things are organized rather than chaotic.

That is why poredak daje nadu can sound like:

• order gives hope
• structure gives hope
• a sense of order gives hope

Both can translate as order, but they are not always identical.

Red often means:

• orderliness
• neatness
• queue/line
• regular order in everyday situations

Poredak often sounds:

• more abstract
• more formal
• more structural or systemic

So:

• red u sobi = order/tidiness in a room
• svjetski poredak = world order
• društveni poredak = social order

In your sentence, poredak feels more philosophical or abstract than red.

Because nadu is the direct object of the verb daje.

The verb davati / daje means to give, and what is given appears in the accusative case.

• nominative: nada = hope
• accusative: nadu = hope (as the object)

So:

• Nada postoji. = Hope exists.
  Here nada is the subject.
• Poredak daje nadu. = Order gives hope.
  Here nadu is the object.

This is a very important pattern in Croatian:

• subject = usually nominative
• direct object = often accusative

Daje is the 3rd person singular present form of davati.

• davati = to give, to be giving, to provide repeatedly or generally
• daje = he/she/it gives

Here the subject is poredak, which is singular, so the verb is singular too:

• poredak daje = order gives

This use of the present tense is natural for general statements, just like in English:

• Practice helps.
• Order gives hope.

Because davati is the imperfective verb, and it fits a general, ongoing statement better.

Croatian often uses aspect to distinguish between:

• dati = perfective, a completed act of giving
• davati = imperfective, giving in general, repeatedly, or as an ongoing quality

Since the sentence expresses a general truth or effect, daje from davati is very natural:

• Poredak daje nadu. = order gives hope

Using a perfective form would not fit this kind of general statement in the same way.

Croatian word order is more flexible than English because cases help show grammatical roles.

So yes, you could say:

• Poredak daje nadu.
• Nadu daje poredak.

But the emphasis changes.

• Poredak daje nadu.
  Neutral: Order gives hope.
• Nadu daje poredak.
  More emphasis on hope or contrast: It is hope that order gives / What order gives is hope.

The original order is the most neutral and straightforward.

Sometimes yes, depending on context.

A very natural English rendering can be:

• If nothing else, order gives hope.
• At least, order gives hope.

But they are not always exactly identical.

Ako ništa drugo keeps the idea of if nothing else / even if all other benefits fail.
At least can sound a bit shorter and looser.

So for learning purposes, the closest core meaning is:

• Ako ništa drugo = if nothing else

Yes. The sentence sounds a bit reflective, literary, or philosophical rather than purely conversational.

That comes from:

• the abstract noun poredak
• the broad statement daje nadu
• the idiomatic opener Ako ništa drugo

It feels like the speaker is making a general observation about life, society, or circumstances:

• even in confusion or difficulty, order itself can still be reassuring

So grammatically it is simple, but stylistically it carries a more thoughtful tone.

The sentence has two parts:

1. Ako ništa drugo
   An introductory idiomatic phrase meaning if nothing else

2. poredak daje nadu
   A main clause with:

   • poredak = subject, nominative singular
   • daje = verb, 3rd person singular present
   • nadu = direct object, accusative singular

So the structure is:

• introductory phrase + main clause
• If nothing else, [subject] [verb] [object]

That makes it a very useful sentence for seeing how Croatian handles both idiomatic framing and a simple subject-verb-object clause.