Na pregači je ostala mala mrlja od džema.

A small jam stain remained on the apron.

Breakdown of Na pregači je ostala mala mrlja od džema.

• biti: to be
• mali: small
• na: on
• od: of

Questions & Answers about Na pregači je ostala mala mrlja od džema.

Why is pregači in that form?

Because na is expressing a location here: on the apron. After na in the sense of location, Croatian uses the locative case.

• dictionary form: pregača = apron
• locative singular: pregači

So:

• na pregači = on the apron

If it meant motion onto the apron, Croatian would normally use the accusative instead:

• na pregaču = onto the apron

Why is the preposition na used here instead of u?

Because na usually means on, while u usually means in / inside.

So:

• na pregači = on the apron
• u pregači would sound like in the apron, which does not fit the meaning here

Since a stain is on the surface of the apron, na is the natural choice.

What does je ostala mean, and what tense is it?