Sklonište za životinje je otvoreno.

It is nominative singular. In this sentence, sklonište za životinje is the subject, so sklonište stays in the nominative.

Also, sklonište is a neuter noun, which matters because other words in the sentence agree with it.

Because otvoreno has to agree with sklonište, and sklonište is neuter singular.

The adjective otvoren changes by gender:

• masculine: otvoren
• feminine: otvorena
• neuter: otvoreno

So:

• dućan je otvoren = the shop is open
• trgovina je otvorena = the store is open
• sklonište je otvoreno = the shelter is open

Je is the 3rd person singular present of biti = to be.

Croatian normally uses biti in sentences like this:

• Sklonište je otvoreno.
• Kuća je velika.
• Pas je miran.

Unlike in some other Slavic languages, you generally do not omit the present-tense copula in standard Croatian. So Sklonište za životinje otvoreno would sound incomplete in normal standard speech, though you might see omission in headlines or signs.

Because za here means for, in the sense of intended for or meant for.

So sklonište za životinje literally means a shelter for animals.

This is a very common Croatian pattern:

• hrana za pse = food for dogs
• lijek za kašalj = medicine for cough
• dom za starije = home for the elderly

After za meaning for, Croatian uses the accusative case.

The noun životinja is feminine, and its accusative plural is životinje.

So:

• singular: životinja
• plural nominative: životinje
• plural accusative: životinje

Here, the accusative plural happens to look the same as the nominative plural.

It is possible structurally, but it is not the most natural choice for this meaning.

Sklonište za životinje is the normal way to say animal shelter / shelter for animals.

Using a bare genitive like sklonište životinja can sound less idiomatic here, and may suggest something more like the shelter of animals rather than a shelter intended for animals.

In this sentence, it functions like a predicate adjective: is open.

Historically and grammatically, forms like otvoren / otvorena / otvoreno are related to the past passive participle, but learners can usually think of it simply as an adjective here.

So the sentence means a state:

• the shelter is open

not an action like:

• someone opened the shelter

Yes. Croatian has no articles, so sklonište can correspond to the shelter or a shelter, depending on context.

In real use, context tells you which is meant. If you are talking about a specific local shelter, English would probably use the. If you are introducing one for the first time, English might use an.

Yes, Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order.

The neutral, straightforward version is:

• Sklonište za životinje je otvoreno.

But you could also hear:

• Otvoreno je sklonište za životinje.
• Sklonište za životinje otvoreno je.

These alternatives change the focus or sound more marked or stylistic, but the basic meaning stays the same.

It can mean either, depending on context.

In this sentence, most people would understand it as:

• the animal shelter is open / operating / receiving visitors

But grammatically it could also describe the state of being open rather than closed.

Context decides which nuance is intended.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

SKLO-nee-shte za zhee-VO-ti-nye ye ot-VO-re-no

A few useful sounds:

• š sounds like sh in ship
• ž sounds like the s in measure
• nj sounds like ny in canyon
• je is usually like ye

So:

• sklonište ≈ SKLO-nee-shte
• životinje ≈ zhee-VO-ti-nye

No, but it is a very natural and clear way.

Another common word you may hear is:

• azil za životinje

Both can refer to an animal shelter, though usage can vary by region and context. Sklonište za životinje is transparent and easy to understand literally as shelter for animals.