Bijeli karanfil je u vazi na stolu.

A natural breakdown is:

• bijeli = white
• karanfil = carnation
• je = is
• u = in
• vazi = vase in the form used after u for location
• na = on
• stolu = table in the form used after na for location

So the structure is:

• Bijeli karanfil = the subject
• je = the verb
• u vazi na stolu = the location phrase

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

So:

• karanfil can mean a carnation or the carnation
• the exact meaning depends on context

In this sentence, English usually translates it as The white carnation is in the vase on the table, but Croatian does not need separate article words to say that.

Bijeli is the adjective form that agrees with karanfil.

In Croatian, adjectives must match the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here:

• karanfil is masculine
• singular
• nominative (because it is the subject)

So the adjective also appears in the masculine singular nominative form:

• bijeli karanfil = white carnation

Yes, karanfil is a masculine noun.

You often learn a noun’s gender as part of its dictionary form, but there are also patterns:

• many masculine nouns end in a consonant
• karanfil ends in -l, so that fits a common masculine pattern

You can also see it from agreement:

• bijeli is masculine singular
• that tells you karanfil is masculine here

Je is the 3rd person singular present form of biti (to be).

So:

• ja sam = I am
• ti si = you are
• on/ona/ono je = he/she/it is

In this sentence:

• Bijeli karanfil je... = The white carnation is...

Croatian usually keeps je in this kind of sentence, because it is the main verb.

Because je is a clitic, and Croatian clitics usually go in the second position of the clause.

That means je normally comes after the first whole unit, not necessarily after the first single word.

Here the first unit is:

• Bijeli karanfil

So the sentence becomes:

• Bijeli karanfil je u vazi na stolu.

This placement is very natural in Croatian.

After u, Croatian uses different cases depending on meaning:

• location = locative
• motion toward something = accusative

Here the carnation is already in the vase, so this is location.

The noun vaza changes to the locative singular:

• vaza → vazi

So:

• u vazi = in the vase

If there were motion, you would use accusative:

• Stavljam karanfil u vazu. = I am putting the carnation into the vase.

For the same reason as u vazi: this is also a location phrase.

The noun stol changes to the locative singular after na when it means a position:

• stol → stolu

So:

• na stolu = on the table

If you were talking about motion onto the table, you would use accusative:

• Stavljam vazu na stol. = I am putting the vase onto the table.

They describe two different kinds of location:

• u vazi = in the vase
  inside something
• na stolu = on the table
  on a surface

So the image is:

• the carnation is inside the vase
• the vase is on top of the table

Most naturally, it describes the vase.

So the usual reading is:

• The white carnation is in the vase, and the vase is on the table.

That is the most sensible interpretation because:

• u vazi and na stolu fit together naturally
• a vase is typically on a table

Could it be understood differently in some context? Possibly, but the normal reading is that the vase is on the table.

Yes. Croatian word order is more flexible than English.

You can move parts of the sentence to change focus or emphasis. For example:

• U vazi na stolu je bijeli karanfil.
• Na stolu je vaza, a u vazi je bijeli karanfil.

The basic meaning can stay similar, but the emphasis changes.

The original version is neutral and straightforward:

• Bijeli karanfil je u vazi na stolu.

Then you would switch from location to motion, so you would use the accusative after u.

For example:

• Stavljam bijeli karanfil u vazu. = I am putting the white carnation into the vase.

Compare:

• u vazi = in the vase already there
• u vazu = into the vase movement toward it

This location-vs-motion contrast is very important in Croatian.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Bijeli ≈ BEE-yeh-lee
• karanfil ≈ KA-rahn-feel
• je ≈ yeh
• u ≈ oo
• vazi ≈ VA-zee
• na ≈ nah
• stolu ≈ STO-loo

A few key points:

• j in Croatian sounds like English y
• u is like oo in food
• vowels are usually pronounced clearly and consistently

So the whole sentence is roughly:

• BEE-yeh-lee KA-rahn-feel yeh oo VA-zee nah STO-loo