الكتاب والدفتر على نفس الطاولة.

In Arabic, present-tense sentences like this usually do not use a separate verb for is/are.

So:

• الكتاب والدفتر = the book and the notebook
• على نفس الطاولة = on the same table

Together, that naturally means The book and the notebook are on the same table.

This is called a nominal sentence. In the present tense, Arabic normally just leaves is/are out.

If you wanted the past, then Arabic would use a verb, for example with كان.

و means and.

It is usually attached directly to the next word in writing, so:

• الكتاب والدفتر
• literally: the book and-the-notebook

In pronunciation, والدفتر is not usually said as wa al-daftar.

Because د is a sun letter, the ل in الـ is absorbed into it. So الدفتر is pronounced with a doubled d sound:

• written: الدفتر
• pronounced roughly: id-daftar or ed-daftar

So والدفتر is roughly:

• w-id-daftar / w-ed-daftar

depending on dialect and speed.

Because both nouns are definite: the book and the notebook.

The prefix الـ is the Arabic equivalent of the.

So:

• كتاب = a book / book
• الكتاب = the book
• دفتر = a notebook / notebook
• الدفتر = the notebook

In this sentence, the speaker is talking about specific objects, so the definite article is used.

على means on.

So:

• على الطاولة = on the table

That is the normal preposition for physical contact or placement on a surface.

In everyday Levantine speech, على is often shortened to عَ or written informally as ع. So a very natural spoken-style version would be:

• الكتاب والدفتر ع نفس الطاولة

Same meaning, just more colloquial.

That is a very common question.

Usually, yes, adjectives come after the noun in Arabic. But نفس in the meaning of same behaves differently.

The pattern is:

• نفس + definite noun

So:

• نفس الطاولة = the same table
• نفس البيت = the same house
• نفس اليوم = the same day

So even though English says the same table, Arabic also puts نفس before the noun here.

It helps to learn نفس + noun as a fixed pattern meaning the same ....

Roughly:

• iṭ-ṭāwle or eṭ-ṭāwle

A few things are happening here:

• ط is a heavy/emphatic t
• الـ assimilates because ط is a sun letter
• the final ة is usually pronounced -e in Levantine speech

So although it is written الطاولة, the pronunciation is closer to iṭ-ṭāwle, not al-ṭāwila.

It is perfectly understandable, and it is very close to what Levantine speakers would say.

A more everyday Levantine-style version would often be:

• الكتاب والدفتر ع نفس الطاولة

The main difference is just:

• على → ع

Everything else is fine and natural.

So the sentence you were given is good for learning, and it is not unnatural.

The sentence has two main parts:

1. الكتاب والدفتر = the topic / what we are talking about
2. على نفس الطاولة = where they are

So it is basically:

• [the book and the notebook] + [on the same table]

This is a very common Arabic pattern for location in the present tense.

Usually, yes.

In Levantine, دفتر commonly means:

• notebook
• exercise book
• sometimes register or ledger, depending on context

In a simple sentence like this, notebook is a very natural translation.

So:

• الكتاب = the book
• الدفتر = the notebook