U novom stanu imamo perilicu posuđa, ali prekidač za svjetlo nije u kuhinji, nego pokraj kupaonice.

Because u can take two different cases:

• locative for being in/at a place
• accusative for motion into a place

Here the meaning is static: In the new apartment, we have..., so Croatian uses the locative:

• stan = apartment/flat
• u stanu = in the apartment
• u novom stanu = in the new apartment

If it meant movement, you would use accusative:

• Idemo u novi stan. = We are going into the new apartment / moving to the new apartment.

In Croatian, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• imam = I have
• imaš = you have
• imamo = we have

So imamo already means we have.
You could say mi imamo, but mi is usually added only for emphasis or contrast.

This phrase contains two different grammatical relationships:

1. perilicu is the direct object of imamo, so it is in the accusative singular

   • dictionary form: perilica
   • accusative singular: perilicu

2. posuđa means of dishes, so it is in the genitive

   • posuđe = dishes/tableware
   • posuđa = of dishes

So literally, perilica posuđa is a washer of dishes, i.e. a dishwasher.

Yes, it is a standard and very common term.

• perilica = washer/washing machine
• posuđe = dishes
• perilica posuđa = dishwasher

You may also see or hear regional variation, but perilica posuđa is completely natural and standard.

Literally, it means switch for light.

• prekidač = switch
• za = for
• svjetlo = light

So the whole phrase means light switch.

Croatian often uses noun + za + noun where English might prefer a compound noun:

• čaša za vino = wine glass
• stroj za pranje = washing machine / machine for washing
• prekidač za svjetlo = light switch

This is a very useful Croatian pattern.

• ali means but
• nego is often used after a negative statement to give the correct alternative

So:

• nije u kuhinji, nego pokraj kupaonice = it isn’t in the kitchen, but rather next to the bathroom

This is different from a simple contrast. Croatian often prefers nego when the second part replaces what was just denied.

A simpler example:

• Nije crveno, nego plavo. = It isn’t red, but blue.

In your sentence, ali connects the two bigger ideas, and nego corrects the location after nije.

Sometimes learners try that, but in this sentence nego is better and more natural.

• ali = general contrast
• nego = correction after negation

So Croatian strongly prefers:

• nije u kuhinji, nego pokraj kupaonice

rather than repeating ali.

Using nego makes it clear that the speaker is correcting the first location, not just adding another contrasting fact.

Because kuhinja is feminine, and after u with a location meaning, Croatian uses the locative case.

• dictionary form: kuhinja
• locative singular: kuhinji

So:

• u kuhinji = in the kitchen

This is the same pattern as:

• u sobi = in the room
• u kupaonici = in the bathroom
• u školi = at school / in school

Because pokraj means beside / next to / near, and it is followed by the genitive case.

• kupaonica = bathroom
• kupaonice = of the bathroom / bathroom (genitive form)

So:

• pokraj kupaonice = next to the bathroom

Other prepositions that commonly take genitive include:

• bez = without
• do = up to / until / to
• kod = at someone’s place / near
• iz = out of / from

Because Croatian often expresses this idea more transparently.

• prekidač za svjetlo = switch for the light

English compresses the idea into a noun-noun combination: light switch.
Croatian often uses a prepositional phrase instead.

You may also hear slightly different ways of saying it depending on region or context, but prekidač za svjetlo is clear and natural.

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

Here:

• stan is masculine singular
• after u with location, it is in the locative singular
• therefore the adjective nov also takes the locative singular masculine/neuter form: novom

So:

• nov stan = a new apartment
• u novom stanu = in the new apartment

This agreement is a core feature of Croatian grammar.

The sentence has a very natural Croatian word order:

• U novom stanu = setting/background
• imamo perilicu posuđa = main statement
• ali prekidač za svjetlo nije u kuhinji, nego pokraj kupaonice = contrasting statement

Croatian word order is more flexible than English because case endings show grammatical roles. So you could rearrange parts for emphasis. For example:

• Perilicu posuđa imamo u novom stanu...
• Prekidač za svjetlo nije u kuhinji...

But the original version sounds neutral and natural.

Both are possible. It depends on the variety of English you are using.

• apartment = more common in American English
• flat = more common in British English

Croatian stan can mean either in translation. In this sentence, apartment is a very natural choice for American English learners, while flat would also be correct in British English.