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Sat je na stolu.

Sat je na stolu.
The clock is on the table.

Breakdown of Sat je na stolu.

biti
to be
na
on
stol
table
sat
lesson
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Questions & Answers about Sat je na stolu.

What exactly does sat mean here?

Sat is a masculine noun that can mean:

  • a clock (wall clock, alarm clock, etc.)
  • a watch (wristwatch)
  • an hour (a unit of time, e.g. jedan sat = one hour)

In Sat je na stolu., from context it means a physical clock or watch that is lying on the table.

Why is it stolu and not stol?

Stol is the basic (dictionary) form: nominative singular.

In na stolu, stolu is the locative case of stol.
The preposition na (on) can take:

  • locative when something is at rest on a surface:
    • Sat je na stolu. = The clock is on the table.
  • accusative when there is motion onto a surface:
    • Stavio sam sat na stol. = I put the clock onto the table.

So for a static location you must change stol → stolu.

Where is “the” or “a” in this sentence?

Croatian has no articles like English the or a/an.
Sat je na stolu. can mean:

  • The clock is on the table.
  • A clock is on the table.

Which one it is depends on context, not on any word in the sentence.

Can I change the word order, for example Na stolu je sat?

Yes. Croatian word order is fairly flexible. These are all grammatical:

  • Sat je na stolu. – Neutral, factual statement.
  • Na stolu je sat. – Slight emphasis on na stolu (on the table).
  • Na stolu sat je. – Possible, but sounds poetic or very marked in everyday speech.

The main difference is in emphasis and information structure, not in basic meaning.

Why is the verb je used, and what form is it?

Je is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb biti (to be):

  • (ja) sam – I am
  • (ti) si – you are (singular, informal)
  • (on/ona/ono) je – he/she/it is
  • (mi) smo – we are
  • (vi) ste – you are (plural / formal)
  • (oni/one/ona) su – they are

So Sat je na stolu. literally: Clock is on table.

Can I leave out je, like Sat na stolu?

Normally, no. In standard Croatian you should keep je:

  • Sat je na stolu. – correct, normal
  • Sat na stolu. – sounds like a fragment, a note, or a telegraphic/poetic style, not a full normal sentence.

So for regular speech and writing, always say Sat je na stolu.

How do I say it in the plural: “The clocks are on the table”?

You change sat to its plural satovi, and je to the plural su:

  • Satovi su na stolu. = The clocks are on the table.

Na stolu stays the same because it is already locative singular and the table is still just one table.

How do I pronounce Sat je na stolu.?

Approximate pronunciation (using English-like spelling):

  • Sat – like saht (short a, final t pronounced)
  • je – like yeh
  • na – like nah
  • stolu – STO-loo (stress on sto; o as in not, u as in put but a bit clearer)

Said together, fairly smoothly:
Sat je na stolu.

Why is it na stolu and not something like u stolu?

Croatian uses different prepositions for different spatial relations:

  • na = on (a surface): na stolu – on the table
  • u = in/inside: u stolu – in the table (e.g. in a drawer built into the table)

So na stolu is used because the clock is on top of the table, not inside it.

Are there other common words for stol, and are they different in meaning?

Yes, you may also encounter:

  • stol – basic word for a table (standard and common)
  • stolić – a small table (e.g. coffee table); Sat je na stoliću.
  • sto – in some regions/dialects used instead of stol

In standard language, stol is the safest choice for “table” in sentences like Sat je na stolu.