Na stolu je mala zdjelica za med, a pokraj nje je i salveta.

Because na stolu is in the locative case, which is used here to mean on the table in a static location.

• na stol = onto the table (movement toward a surface)
• na stolu = on the table (location)

So in this sentence, nothing is moving; we are just describing where something is. That is why Croatian uses na + locative:

• stol = table
• na stolu = on the table

Croatian often puts the location first when introducing something that exists somewhere. This is very natural and common.

So:

• Na stolu je mala zdjelica za med.
  literally: On the table is a small bowl for honey.

In English, we usually prefer There is a small bowl for honey on the table, but Croatian often starts with the place and then gives the thing located there.

Because the adjective must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case.

• zdjelica is a feminine singular noun
• so mali becomes mala to match it

Agreement here is:

• mala = small, feminine singular
• zdjelica = bowl, small bowl, little bowl

So mala zdjelica means a small bowl.

Zdjelica is a diminutive form of zdjela.

• zdjela = bowl
• zdjelica = small bowl / little bowl

Diminutives are very common in Croatian. Sometimes they indicate actual small size, and sometimes they just sound more natural or slightly more affectionate. In this sentence, zdjelica fits well because it is a small bowl for honey.

Za med literally means for honey, and it is a very natural way in Croatian to describe the purpose of an object.

• zdjelica za med = a bowl for honey
• šalica za kavu = a cup for coffee
• četkica za zube = a toothbrush

You can sometimes make adjective-like forms from nouns, but zdjelica za med is the normal and straightforward way to say honey bowl / bowl for honey.

Also note:

• za here takes the accusative
• med is masculine inanimate, and its accusative is the same as its nominative
• so it stays med

Because pokraj requires the genitive case, and the genitive form of ona here is nje.

The pronoun forms are:

• ona = she / it
• nju = accusative
• nje = genitive

Since pokraj means beside / next to / by and governs the genitive, we get:

• pokraj nje = beside it / next to it

Here nje refers back to zdjelica, which is feminine, so the pronoun is feminine too.

In grammar, it is the same form, but in this sentence it means it, because it refers to zdjelica.

Croatian pronouns agree with the grammatical gender of the noun they refer to:

• zdjelica is feminine
• so the pronoun is feminine too: nje

Even though the form is the same as her, the meaning here is clearly beside it, not beside her.

They express two different kinds of location:

• na stolu = on the table
• pokraj nje = beside it / next to it

So the sentence first says where the bowl is, and then says where the napkin is relative to the bowl.

This is a very natural way to build description in Croatian:

1. place one object somewhere
2. place another object next to the first one

A is a conjunction that often means and, but not exactly in the same way as simple English and in every case.

Here it links two pieces of information with a mild contrast or shift of focus:

• Na stolu je mala zdjelica za med, a pokraj nje je i salveta.

This feels like:

• There is a small honey bowl on the table, and beside it there is also a napkin.

So a often works like:

• and
• while
• whereas
• or a softer and then / and as for

In this sentence, plain i by itself would sound less natural as the main connector.

Here i means also / too / as well.

So:

• pokraj nje je i salveta = beside it there is also a napkin

It adds the idea that not only is there a bowl, but there is a napkin too.

This i is not the same as the conjunction and joining two nouns. It is an adding/focusing word here.

Because je is a clitic in Croatian. Clitics usually go in the second position of the clause.

So Croatian tends to place je after the first phrase or unit, not necessarily after the subject.

• Na stolu je mala zdjelica...
• pokraj nje je i salveta

Even though English would say is after the subject, Croatian follows different word-order rules with clitics.

This is one of the most important word-order patterns in Croatian.

You could, and it would still be understandable, but a sounds more natural here.

Without a, the sentence feels more like a simple chain of facts. With a, it more clearly divides the sentence into two balanced parts:

• first: the bowl is on the table
• second: the napkin is beside it

So a helps the sentence flow more naturally.

Croatian does not have articles like English a/an and the.

So:

• mala zdjelica can mean a small bowl or the small bowl
• salveta can mean a napkin or the napkin

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, English would probably translate them as a small bowl and a napkin, because the objects are being introduced.

In this context, salveta means napkin.

It is a feminine noun:

• salveta = napkin
• nominative singular: salveta

Depending on context, it can refer to a paper napkin or a cloth napkin, just like English napkin can be general unless more detail is added.

Yes, Croatian word order is fairly flexible, but not all versions sound equally natural.

For example, these are possible:

• Na stolu je mala zdjelica za med, a pokraj nje je i salveta.
• Mala zdjelica za med je na stolu, a pokraj nje je i salveta.

Both are grammatical, but the original sounds very natural because it introduces the scene by location first.

What usually must still be respected is the placement of the clitic je, which tends toward second position in its clause.

Grammatically, nje is feminine singular, so it must refer to a feminine noun.

In the first part of the sentence:

• stol is masculine
• zdjelica is feminine

So nje can only refer naturally to zdjelica.

That is a very useful clue in Croatian: pronoun forms often help you identify what they refer to because of gender and case.