Learn Hardcore Croatian: Papir i olovka su na stolu. - The paper and the pencil are on the table.

Because the subject is plural: two nouns joined by i form a compound (plural) subject, so you use the 3rd person plural of biti (to be), which is su. With a single subject you’d use je:

Papir je na stolu.
Olovka je na stolu.
Papir i olovka su na stolu.

Why is it na stolu, not na stol?

After na, Croatian uses:

Locative for static location: na stolu = on the table.
Accusative for movement onto: Stavljam papir i olovku na stol = I’m putting the paper and the pencil onto the table.

Note: For inanimate masculine nouns like stol, the accusative equals the nominative (both are stol), which is why you don’t see a change there, but you do in the locative (stolu).

Why is there no word for “the” in the sentence?

Croatian has no articles. Definiteness is inferred from context. If you need to be explicit, use demonstratives:

taj papir i ta olovka = that paper and that pencil
onaj papir i ona olovka = that paper and that pencil (farther away)

Can I start with the location and say Na stolu su papir i olovka?

Yes. Both orders are correct:

Papir i olovka su na stolu.
Na stolu su papir i olovka.

Starting with Na stolu emphasizes the location a bit more. Notice that su stays in second position in the clause.

Why is su after the subject instead of before it, like in English?

Su is a clitic form of biti and in Croatian clitics typically occupy the “second position” in the clause (after the first stressed word or phrase). Here, the first phrase is Papir i olovka, so su follows it. If you start with a prepositional phrase, it follows that instead: Na stolu su…

Why not olovku or papira in the subject?

Subjects are in the nominative case: papir, olovka. Forms like olovku (accusative) or papira (genitive) are used for other functions:

Subject: Olovka je na stolu.
Direct object: Vidim olovku.
Possession/amount: List papira (a sheet of paper).

What are the genders of papir and olovka, and does that matter?

papir is masculine
olovka is feminine

In the present tense, the verb (su) doesn’t show gender. But adjectives and past participles agree in plural. With mixed genders, masculine plural is used:

Past: Papir i olovka su bili na stolu. If both were feminine, you’d use feminine plural:
Olovka i knjiga su bile na stolu. If you replace them with a pronoun, mixed gender takes masculine plural: Oni su na stolu.

What’s the difference between na stolu and za stolom?

na stolu = on the table (on its surface)
za stolom = at the table (seated/positioned by it), e.g., Sjedimo za stolom. Grammatically, za takes the instrumental for location: za stolom.

Why not u stolu?

U stolu would literally mean “inside the table,” which is odd unless you mean a drawer. More natural is:

Olovka je u ladici (stola). = The pencil is in the drawer (of the table). Use na for surfaces (na stolu) and u for insides (u ladici).

How do I make the sentence negative?

Use nisu (negative 3rd person plural of biti):

Papir i olovka nisu na stolu.

How do I turn it into a yes/no question?

Use the full verb form with li:

Jesu li papir i olovka na stolu? Short answers use the full forms:
Jesu. / Nisu. You can also ask a wh‑question:
Gdje su papir i olovka? = Where are the paper and the pencil?

Does papir mean “a sheet of paper,” or the material, or “documents”?

All of the above, depending on context:

Material (mass): Treba mi papir. = I need paper.
A sheet: list papira (literally “sheet of paper”).
Documents: papiri = papers/documents.

If you mean two sheets, say dva lista papira. Dva papira is usually understood as “two documents.”

Is olovka specifically a pencil? What about a pen?

olovka = pencil
kemijska olovka (often just kemijska) = ballpoint pen
nalivno pero = fountain pen
flomaster = marker

How would I say “Papers and pencils are on the tables”?

Papiri i olovke su na stolovima. Here you have plural subjects and a locative plural noun (stolovima).

Is stol ever sto?

In standard Croatian, stol means “table,” and sto means “one hundred.” You will hear sto for “table” in Serbian and in some regional speech, but in standard Croatian use stol.

Can I drop su and just say Papir i olovka na stolu?

Not in standard Croatian. The present tense of biti is normally required in full sentences. You might see it omitted in headlines or notes, but in regular speech and writing keep je/su.