Svatko nosi prsluk za spašavanje.

Svatko means everyone / everybody.

Even though it refers to many people, it is treated as grammatically singular in Croatian. That is why the verb is also singular: nosi, not nose.

So:

• svatko nosi = everyone wears/carries
• not svatko nose

This is similar to English everyone is, not everyone are.

Because svatko is grammatically singular.

Nosi is the 3rd person singular present tense of nositi.

A quick comparison:

• ja nosim = I wear/carry
• ti nosiš = you wear/carry
• on/ona/ono nosi = he/she/it wears/carries
• svatko nosi = everyone wears/carries

So the sentence is built as:

• svatko = subject
• nosi = verb
• prsluk za spašavanje = object

The verb nositi can mean both to carry and to wear, depending on context.

In this sentence, because the object is prsluk za spašavanje (life jacket), the natural meaning is wears.

So:

• nositi torbu = to carry a bag
• nositi kaput = to wear a coat
• nositi prsluk za spašavanje = to wear a life jacket

Prsluk is the direct object of the verb nosi, so it is in the accusative case.

However, prsluk is a masculine inanimate noun, and for many masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular looks the same as the nominative singular.

So:

• nominative: prsluk
• accusative: prsluk

That is why the form does not change.

Literally, za spašavanje means for saving / for rescue.

This is a very common Croatian pattern:

• za
  • noun/verbal noun = for, intended for, used for

Here:

• za = for
• spašavanje = saving, rescue

So prsluk za spašavanje literally means something like a vest for rescue/saving, which corresponds to English life jacket.

Croatian often expresses this kind of idea with a noun phrase rather than a single compound word.

So instead of building one word like English sometimes does, Croatian commonly says:

• prsluk za spašavanje = life jacket
• literally: vest for saving/rescue

This is a normal and standard expression.

Correct: Croatian has no articles like English a / an / the.

So prsluk can mean:

• a life jacket
• the life jacket

The exact meaning depends on context.

In a general statement like Svatko nosi prsluk za spašavanje, English will usually translate it as Everyone is wearing a life jacket or Everyone wears a life jacket.

Yes. Croatian word order is more flexible than English word order.

The neutral, most straightforward order here is:

• Svatko nosi prsluk za spašavanje.

But other orders are possible if you want to emphasize something. For example:

• Prsluk za spašavanje svatko nosi.
  = emphasis on the life jacket

Still, the original sentence is the most neutral and natural if you are just stating the fact.

Yes, you could, but it is slightly different in structure.

• svatko nosi = everyone wears
• svi nose = all are wearing / everyone is wearing

Both can translate to everyone wears/is wearing a life jacket, but:

• svatko is grammatically singular
• svi is plural

So:

• Svatko nosi prsluk za spašavanje.
• Svi nose prsluke za spašavanje. / Svi nose prsluk za spašavanje.

Depending on context, a plural object prsluke may sound especially natural if you are talking about many people each wearing one.

Not by itself in this sentence.

• svatko = everyone / everybody
• svaki = each / every, but it normally goes with a noun

So:

• svatko nosi... = everyone wears...
• svaki putnik nosi... = every passenger wears...

You would not normally say svaki nosi to mean everyone wears.

Because nositi focuses on the state of wearing something, not the action of putting it on.

Compare:

• nositi = to wear
• obući / odjenuti = to put on, get dressed in

So:

• Svatko nosi prsluk za spašavanje.
  = Everyone is wearing a life jacket.

But if you wanted Everyone puts on a life jacket, you would use a different verb, such as oblači or another context-appropriate form.

A rough English-friendly guide:

• svatko ≈ SVAHT-ko
• spašavanje ≈ spa-sha-VA-nye

A few useful notes:

• š is pronounced like sh in shoe
• nj is like the ny sound in canyon or Spanish ñ
• stress is not usually marked in normal writing, but saying spašavanje with the main stress around VA will sound close enough for a learner

So spašavanje has the sh sound because of š.