Learn Hardcore Croatian: Nakon sušenja rublja, sušilica je još topla. - After drying the laundry, the dryer is still warm.

The preposition nakon always takes the genitive:
- nakon ručka – after lunch
- nakon kiše – after the rain
- nakon sušenja (rublja) – after the drying (of the laundry)

Within the phrase sušenja rublja:

sušenja is “drying” (genitive singular of sušenje)
rublja is “of the laundry” (genitive singular of rublje)

So the structure is literally: after (the) drying of (the) laundry – everything governed by nakon, so everything is in genitive.

Why is it rublja and not rublje here?

The base (dictionary) form is rublje (nominative singular), meaning “laundry / underwear / linens.”

In your sentence, rublja is the genitive singular form, required by nakon:

Nominative: rublje – Laundry is dirty. (Rublje je prljavo.)
Genitive: rublja – There is no laundry. (Nema rublja.) / after drying of the laundry (nakon sušenja rublja)

So:

rublje – subject form (who/what?)
rublja – “of laundry” (whose/what’s?) after nakon

Is rublje singular or plural in Croatian?

Grammatically, rublje is neuter singular, even though it refers to a collection of items (like “laundry” in English).

Example:

Rublje je suho. – The laundry is dry.

Note:

Verb and adjective agree with it as singular neuter:
- je (3rd person singular)
- suho (neuter singular adjective from suh “dry”)

So you treat rublje like “laundry” in English: it looks like many items, but the grammar uses singular.

Why is it sušilica and not something like sušilo?

Both words exist, but they’re used differently:

sušilica (feminine, -ica)
- Typically: a machine for drying, especially a clothes dryer
- e.g. sušilica rublja / sušilica za rublje – clothes dryer
sušilo (neuter, -o)
- More often: hairdryer (sušilo za kosu)
- Can also mean a drying device in some contexts (or even a rack), but not the standard word for a tumble dryer in a laundry context.

In your sentence sušilica clearly refers to the clothes dryer used for rublje.

Why does topla end in -a and not -o or -i?

Topla is the feminine singular form of the adjective topao (“warm”).

Adjectives agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case:

sušilica is feminine singular (typical -ica ending)
So the adjective must also be feminine singular nominative: topla

Compare:

topao – masculine: čaj je topao – the tea is warm
topla – feminine: sušilica je topla – the dryer is warm
toplo – neuter: rublje je toplo – the laundry is warm

What does još mean here, and could we leave it out?

Here još means “still”:

sušilica je još topla = the dryer is still warm

You can leave it out grammatically:

Sušilica je topla. – The dryer is warm.

But then you lose the idea of continuing state, i.e. it remains warm even after drying. With još, you emphasize that it hasn’t cooled down yet.

Can još be placed in a different position, like “Sušilica još je topla”?

In standard Croatian, the verb je is a clitic and strongly prefers the second position in the clause.

Correct and natural:

Sušilica je još topla.
Još je sušilica topla. (emphasis on “still”)

Very unnatural / wrong in normal speech:

Sušilica još je topla. ✗
(because je is no longer in second position)

So the safest, neutral word order is the one in your sentence:

Sušilica je još topla.

Is the comma after Nakon sušenja rublja necessary?

It is standard and recommended, but not absolutely mandatory in all styles.

With comma: Nakon sušenja rublja, sušilica je još topla.
This is the normal, clear written form, marking the pause after the introductory time phrase.
Without comma: Nakon sušenja rublja sušilica je još topla.
You might see this, especially in less formal writing, but most style guides prefer the comma.

In speech, you would usually pause there, which corresponds to the comma in writing.

Could I say Poslije sušenja rublja, sušilica je još topla instead of Nakon sušenja rublja? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can; it is grammatically correct:

Poslije sušenja rublja, sušilica je još topla.

Differences:

nakon – slightly more formal / neutral, clearly a preposition that always takes the genitive.
poslije – also a preposition with genitive (poslije ručka), but it can also be used alone as an adverb meaning “later” (Vidimo se poslije – See you later).

In this sentence, both sound natural. Nakon may feel a bit more “bookish,” poslije a bit more everyday, but it’s a subtle difference.

Why don’t we say something like nakon sušiti rublje (using the infinitive) instead of nakon sušenja rublja?

In Croatian, after prepositions like nakon, you need a noun phrase, not an infinitive verb.

Correct:
- nakon sušenja rublja – after the drying of the laundry
- nakon ručka – after lunch
- nakon kiše – after the rain
Incorrect:
- ✗ nakon sušiti rublje

To express “after drying the laundry,” you have two main options:

Use a verbal noun: nakon sušenja rublja
Use a clause: nakon što smo osušili rublje – after we dried the laundry

But you don’t use the bare infinitive after nakon.

How would you say this with a full clause instead of sušenja rublja?

You can replace the noun phrase nakon sušenja rublja with a finite clause:

Nakon što se rublje osuši, sušilica je još topla.
– After the laundry dries, the dryer is still warm.

or, if you want to mention the subject explicitly:

Nakon što smo osušili rublje, sušilica je još topla.
– After we dried the laundry, the dryer is still warm.

The meaning is very close; the original sentence just uses a more compact, nominal form (sušenje) instead of a full “after + clause” construction.