Djurkliniken öppnar klockan åtta.

It is a compound noun:

• djur = animal
• klinik = clinic
• -en = the definite ending for a singular en-word

So djurkliniken means the animal clinic, often understood as the veterinary clinic. Swedish makes compound nouns very naturally, so this structure is completely normal.

Because Swedish often puts the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word in front.

Compare:

• en klinik = a clinic
• kliniken = the clinic
• en djurklinik = an animal clinic
• djurkliniken = the animal clinic

So the English word the is built into the ending -en here.

Öppnar is the present tense of öppna = to open.

So Djurkliniken öppnar means The animal clinic opens.

In Swedish, the present tense has the same form for all persons:

• jag öppnar
• du öppnar
• den öppnar

Also, just like in English, Swedish often uses the present tense for schedules and fixed times. So this sentence can describe a regular opening time or a scheduled event.

Klockan åtta is the standard Swedish way to say at eight o’clock.

Literally, klockan means the clock, but in time expressions it functions as a normal time marker:

• klockan ett = at one o’clock
• klockan fem = at five o’clock
• klockan åtta = at eight o’clock

It is best learned as a fixed pattern.

Because this expression normally uses the definite form klockan.

So Swedish idiomatically says:

• Vi ses klockan tre. = We’ll meet at three.
• Skolan börjar klockan nio. = School starts at nine.

Even though it literally looks like the clock, you should think of klockan here as simply part of the standard way of telling time.

The word order is:

subject + verb + time expression

• Djurkliniken = subject
• öppnar = verb
• klockan åtta = time

This is normal Swedish main-clause word order.

Swedish also follows the verb-second rule. That means if you move something else to the front, the verb still stays in second position:

• Klockan åtta öppnar djurkliniken.

That is also correct and means the same thing, but it gives more emphasis to the time.

For a yes/no question, Swedish usually puts the verb first:

• Öppnar djurkliniken klockan åtta?

That means Does the animal clinic open at eight?

Unlike English, Swedish does not need a separate helper verb like does.

They are similar, but not identical.

• Djurkliniken öppnar klockan åtta. = The clinic opens at eight.
  This focuses on the opening event or starting time.

• Djurkliniken är öppen klockan åtta. = The clinic is open at eight.
  This focuses on the state of being open.

So öppnar is about the action of opening, while är öppen is about already being open.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

yuur-klee-NEE-ken UHP-nar KLOK-an OT-ta

A few helpful points:

• dj in djur is usually pronounced like y in yes
• ö in öppnar does not have an exact English equivalent
• å in åtta is a different Swedish vowel, not the same as English a
• tt in åtta is pronounced clearly

So the beginning djur may sound surprising at first, because the written d is not strongly pronounced.

It can mean either, depending on context.

• general fact: the clinic’s usual opening time is eight
• specific schedule: on a particular day, the clinic opens at eight

Swedish present tense often leaves that difference to context, just as English does in sentences like The train leaves at six.