Learn Hardcore Croatian: Na stolu je stara fotografija. - There is an old photograph on the table.

Na stolu = on the table (where something is)
This uses the locative case: stol → stolu.
When na means a static location (on, at), it is followed by locative:
- na stolu – on the table
- na poslu – at work
- na moru – at the sea / at the seaside

If there is movement onto something, na takes the accusative instead:

Stavljam knjigu na stol. – I am putting the book on(to) the table.
(motion towards → stol in accusative, same form as nominative here)

In your sentence there is no movement, just location: Na stolu = on the table, so we use stolu (locative).

What case is stolu, and what is the locative case for?

Stolu is the locative singular of stol.

The locative case in Croatian is mostly used:

After certain prepositions to express location, especially:
- u (in) → u gradu (in the city)
- na (on/at) → na stolu (on the table)
- o (about) → o njemu (about him)
In older/very formal language it can appear without a preposition, but in modern everyday Croatian it’s practically always used with prepositions.

So in Na stolu je stara fotografija, na stolu is a prepositional phrase in the locative, meaning on the table.

Can I also say Stara fotografija je na stolu? Is there a difference in meaning or feeling?

Yes, you can absolutely say Stara fotografija je na stolu. It’s also correct.

The difference is mainly focus / emphasis:

Na stolu je stara fotografija.
→ Literally: On the table is an old photograph.
→ Slightly emphasizes the place (the table). You start the sentence by setting the scene: On the table…
Stara fotografija je na stolu.
→ Literally: The old photograph is on the table.
→ Slightly emphasizes what is on the table (the old photograph).

In everyday speech, both are natural and the difference is subtle. Word order in Croatian is more flexible than in English; speakers often move elements to the beginning to highlight them.

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

Croatian has no articles equivalent to English a/an or the. The noun phrase stara fotografija can mean:

an old photograph
the old photograph

Which one it is depends on context, not on a separate word.

For example:

Na stolu je stara fotografija.
- If we’ve never mentioned it before: There is *an old photograph on the table.*
- If both speakers know which one: The old photograph is on the table.

Sometimes Croatians add jedan / jedna / jedno (one) to show “a certain / one particular”:

Na stolu je jedna stara fotografija.
→ There is one (certain) old photograph on the table.
But this doesn’t function as a regular article the way a/the do in English.

Why is it je and not ima? How would ima change the meaning?

In your sentence, je is the 3rd person singular of biti (to be):

Na stolu je stara fotografija.
Literally: On the table is an old photograph.
→ The sentence is simply saying what is on the table.

Ima is from the verb imati (to have), and it’s often used in an existential sense similar to there is/there are:

Na stolu ima fotografija.
→ There are (some) photographs on the table.

Differences:

Na stolu je stara fotografija.
→ There is a specific old photograph on the table.
Na stolu ima starih fotografija.
→ There are old photographs on the table (some number, not singled out).

Na stolu ima stara fotografija sounds unnatural or wrong in standard Croatian with that exact wording. If you want to single out a specific one, use je; if you just state existence/quantity, you can use ima + usually a plural or mass noun.

Why is the adjective stara before fotografija? Could I say fotografija stara?

In Croatian, the normal order is:

adjective + noun

So:

stara fotografija – an old photograph
velika kuća – a big house
crvena jabuka – a red apple

Putting the adjective after the noun (e.g. fotografija stara) is:

either poetic / literary, or
used with a slightly different structure (often with a comma or extra words), e.g.:
- fotografija, stara i izblijedjela – the photograph, old and faded

So in your neutral sentence, stara fotografija is the natural order. Fotografija stara on its own would sound marked or stylistic, not a basic neutral description.

Why is it stara fotografija and not stari fotografija or staro fotografija?

Because the adjective stara must agree with the noun fotografija in:

gender
number
case

The noun fotografija:

ends in -a
is feminine singular (nominative)

So the adjective star- must also be feminine singular nominative:

masculine: stari stol (old table)
feminine: stara fotografija (old photograph)
neuter: staro pismo (old letter)

So:

stari fotografija – wrong (masculine adjective + feminine noun)
staro fotografija – wrong (neuter adjective + feminine noun)
stara fotografija – correct (feminine + feminine, singular + singular, same case)

What gender is fotografija, and how can I recognize it?

Fotografija is feminine.

A common and helpful rule:

Nouns ending in -a are usually feminine:
- kuća (house) – feminine
- knjiga (book) – feminine
- fotografija (photograph) – feminine

There are exceptions (e.g. muškarac (man) is masculine, ends in -ac), but -a → feminine is a very good first approximation.

Since fotografija is feminine singular, adjectives and pronouns referring to it use the feminine forms:

stara fotografija (old photograph)
ova fotografija (this photograph)

Could I say Na stolu je jedna stara fotografija? What extra nuance does jedna add?

Yes, you can say:

Na stolu je jedna stara fotografija.

Jedna is the feminine form of jedan (one). It can mean:

Literally one (as in the number 1), or
a certain / some (slightly highlighting it as a particular item).

Nuance:

Na stolu je stara fotografija.
→ Neutral: There is an old photograph on the table.
Na stolu je jedna stara fotografija.
→ There is one old photograph on the table (and maybe not more), or
→ There is a certain old photograph on the table (you’re pointing it out as something specific or noteworthy).

In many contexts both are possible; jedna just makes it more specific or contrastive.

What is the plural form? How do I say “On the table are old photographs”?

Singular:

Na stolu je stara fotografija.
→ On the table is an old photograph.

Plural:

Na stolu su stare fotografije.
→ On the table are old photographs.

Changes:

Verb:
- singular: je (he/she/it is)
- plural: su (they are)
Noun:
- singular nominative: fotografija
- plural nominative: fotografije
Adjective (agreement in gender/number/case):
- singular feminine: stara
- plural feminine: stare

So the pattern is:

stara fotografija je … (one)
stare fotografije su … (more than one)

How would I turn this into a yes–no question: “Is there an old photograph on the table?”

Most straightforwardly:

Je li na stolu stara fotografija?
Literally: Is on the table an old photograph?

Patterns:

Je li
- [rest of the sentence with slightly adjusted word order]
You can also place the subject first:
- Je li stara fotografija na stolu?

In speech you’ll also hear:

Je l’ na stolu stara fotografija? (shortened je li)

You might also hear an ima-question in some contexts:

Ima li na stolu stara fotografija?
But with a specific, singular item, this is less natural than using je li. For “Is there any old photograph on the table?” a better ima-version would be:
Ima li na stolu starih fotografija? (any old photographs)

Can I drop je and just say Na stolu stara fotografija?

In standard, complete sentences, you normally keep the verb je:

Na stolu je stara fotografija. – correct standard sentence.

If you say just:

Na stolu stara fotografija.

it sounds like:

a note / label (e.g. on a diagram or in a list), or
fragmented speech (like a rushed description).

Croatian doesn’t drop the present form of “to be” as often as some Slavic languages do in full sentences. So for normal speech and writing, use je here.

Why is it na stolu and not u stolu? What’s the difference between na and u?

Both are common prepositions, but:

na = on, on top of, sometimes at
u = in, inside

So:

Na stolu je stara fotografija.
→ The photograph is on the table (on its surface).
U stolu je stara fotografija.
→ The photograph is in the table (e.g. in a drawer, inside a compartment).

So na stolu is correct because a photo lies on the surface of the table, not inside it.

Is there any difference between fotografija, slika, and fotka?

They’re related but not identical:

fotografija
- more formal / neutral
- specifically photograph (created with a camera)
slika
- very general: picture, image
- can be a photo, a painting, a drawing, an image on a screen, etc.
- context decides:
  - obiteljska slika – family picture (often a photo)
  - uljena slika – oil painting
fotka
- colloquial, informal
- means photo / pic
- e.g. Pošalji mi fotku. – Send me a pic.

In your sentence, stara fotografija is neutral and clearly specifies a photograph. Informally you could hear:

Na stolu je stara slika. (could be a photo or another kind of picture)
Na stolu je stara fotka. (very colloquial)

How do I pronounce Na stolu je stara fotografija?

Segment by segment (stressed syllable in CAPS):

Na – like na in nacho, short a
sto-lu – STO-lu
- sto like stoh (o as in story, but shorter)
- lu like loo
je – like ye in yes (short)
sta-ra – STA-ra
- sta like sta in star, but shorter
- ra with a rolled/flapped r
fo-to-GRA-fi-ja – fo-to-GRA-fi-ja
- fo like fo in photo
- to like to in tornado (short)
- gra with rolled r, a as in father
- fi like fee
- ja like ya in yard

Notes:

Every letter is pronounced; j is like English y in yes.
Vowels are roughly:
- a – as in father
- o – as in lot (but shorter/tenser)
- i – as in machine
Word stress can vary regionally, but NA STO-lu je STA-ra fo-to-GRA-fi-ja is a good working approximation.