Aparat za kavu je pokvaren, pa pijemo čaj.

Because the preposition za here means for, and after za Croatian normally uses the accusative case.

• kava = coffee
• kavu = coffee in the accusative singular

So:

• aparat za kavu = a machine for coffee / a coffee machine

This is a very common pattern:

• šalica za čaj = a cup for tea
• žlica za juhu = a spoon for soup

So za + accusative is the key idea here.

It literally means machine for coffee.

In natural English, you would usually say:

• coffee machine
• coffee maker

Croatian often uses this noun + za + noun structure where English uses a compound noun:

• aparat za kavu = coffee machine
• stroj za pranje = washing machine
• četkica za zube = toothbrush

So even though the literal structure is different, the meaning is completely normal in Croatian.

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

So:

• je = is

The phrase je pokvaren means is broken.

This is a standard Croatian way to describe a state:

• Vrata su zatvorena. = The door is closed.
• Auto je prljav. = The car is dirty.
• Aparat je pokvaren. = The machine is broken.

So je is simply the verb is.

Pokvaren means broken, out of order, or not working properly.

In this sentence, it describes the state of the coffee machine:

• Aparat za kavu je pokvaren. = The coffee machine is broken.

It comes from the verb pokvariti (se), which is related to to break, to spoil, or to go wrong.

Examples:

• Sat je pokvaren. = The clock/watch is broken.
• Telefon mi je pokvaren. = My phone is broken.
• Mlijeko je pokvareno. = The milk has gone bad.

Notice that the ending changes depending on the noun:

• pokvaren for masculine singular
• pokvarena for feminine singular
• pokvareno for neuter singular

Here aparat is masculine, so pokvaren is the correct form.

Because after je you normally use the short form of the adjective in this kind of predicate:

• Aparat je pokvaren. = The machine is broken.

The form pokvareni is usually the long/definite form, which is more common when the adjective comes before a noun:

• pokvareni aparat = the broken machine

So, very roughly:

• aparat je pokvaren = predicate use
• pokvareni aparat = adjective directly modifying the noun

Learners do not need to overcomplicate this at first: after biti (to be), you will very often see the shorter form.

Here pa means something like:

• so
• and so
• therefore
• sometimes simply and

In this sentence:

• Aparat za kavu je pokvaren, pa pijemo čaj.
• The coffee machine is broken, so we’re drinking tea.

It connects the two ideas in a natural, conversational way: one thing leads to another.

It is often lighter and more everyday than a more formal word like zato or stoga.

Examples:

• Kasno je, pa idem kući. = It’s late, so I’m going home.
• Pada kiša, pa ostajemo unutra. = It’s raining, so we’re staying inside.

Pijemo means we drink or we are drinking.

Croatian verbs usually show the subject clearly in their endings, so the pronoun mi = we is often omitted.

• pijem = I drink
• piješ = you drink
• pije = he/she/it drinks
• pijemo = we drink
• pijete = you plural / formal drink
• piju = they drink

So:

• pijemo čaj already means we drink tea / we’re drinking tea

You can say mi pijemo čaj, but that adds emphasis, something like we are the ones drinking tea.

It actually is in the accusative case, but for many masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular looks the same as the nominative singular.

So:

• čaj = tea
• nominative: čaj
• accusative: čaj

Since piti takes a direct object, čaj is in the accusative here:

• pijemo čaj = we drink tea

Compare that with a feminine noun, where the form changes more visibly:

• kava = coffee
• pijemo kavu = we drink coffee

So the case is there, but the form of čaj happens to stay the same.

It can mean both, depending on context.

Croatian present tense often covers both:

• we drink tea
• we are drinking tea

In this sentence, because of the situation being described right now, English would usually translate it as:

• so we’re drinking tea

But grammatically, Croatian just uses the present tense pijemo.

This is very common in Croatian: the same present-tense form can match either the simple present or the present continuous in English.

The given word order is natural, but Croatian word order is more flexible than English.

Standard version:

• Aparat za kavu je pokvaren, pa pijemo čaj.

You may also hear variations such as:

• Pokvaren je aparat za kavu, pa pijemo čaj.
• Pa pijemo čaj jer je aparat za kavu pokvaren.

But the original sentence is the most straightforward and neutral.

A few notes:

• Croatian often keeps je in the second position of its clause, because it is a clitic.
• Changing word order can change emphasis more than core meaning.

So yes, it can move around, but not completely freely.

Sometimes, but pokvaren is more natural here.

• pokvaren = broken, not functioning, faulty
• slomljen = broken in the sense of physically snapped, cracked, smashed

A coffee machine usually stops working rather than literally snapping in two, so:

• Aparat za kavu je pokvaren. = natural
• Aparat za kavu je slomljen. = possible in some contexts, but less typical unless there is actual physical damage

So for machines and devices, pokvaren is usually the better choice.

That depends on the region.

In standard Croatian, the usual word is:

• kava

In some neighboring varieties, especially Serbian and Bosnian, you will often hear:

• kafa

So in Croatian, aparat za kavu is the expected standard form.

This is a vocabulary difference across closely related languages/standards, not a grammar difference.

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

So:

• aparat can mean a machine or the machine
• čaj can mean tea, a tea, or the tea, depending on context

In this sentence, context tells us it means:

• the coffee machine is broken, so we’re drinking tea

Croatian relies on context, word order, and sometimes emphasis instead of articles. This is very normal, and learners gradually get used to it.