Ostatní čekají u stolu.

Here ostatní means the others or the rest.

It is originally an adjective meaning other / remaining, but in this sentence it is being used on its own, like a noun. Czech does this quite often when the noun is understood from context.

So Ostatní čekají... = The others are waiting...

Because Czech usually puts that information inside the verb form itself.

Čekají already means they wait or they are waiting, so Czech does not need a separate present-tense verb like English are in this sentence.

• čekám = I wait / am waiting
• čekáš = you wait / are waiting
• čekají = they wait / are waiting

Čekají is the 3rd person plural present tense of čekat, meaning to wait.

So it agrees with the plural subject ostatní.

• dictionary form: čekat
• present tense, 3rd person plural: čekají

In English, this can mean either:

• they wait
• they are waiting

The exact choice depends on context.

It can mean both.

Czech present tense often covers both:

• a general present: they wait
• an action happening now: they are waiting

So Ostatní čekají u stolu. could be translated as:

• The others are waiting at the table.
• The others wait by the table.

In normal English, are waiting is often the more natural translation if this is happening right now.

Because the preposition u requires the genitive case.

The basic form of table is stůl.
After u, it changes to the genitive singular stolu.

So:

• stůl = table
• u stolu = at/by the table

This is a very common thing in Czech: the preposition determines the case.

In this sentence, u means something like by, at, or near.

So u stolu means:

• by the table
• at the table
• near the table

It does not mean on the table.
For on the table, Czech would use na stole.

Stolu is genitive singular.

That is because u takes the genitive.

So the structure is:

• u
  • genitive
• u stolu = at/by the table

This is worth memorizing as a pattern:

• u domu = by the house
• u školy = by the school
• u stolu = by the table

It is singular.

So u stolu means at/by the table referring to one table.

If it were plural, the genitive form would be different:

• stolů = of tables

So:

• u stolu = by the table
• u stolů = by the tables

Yes. Czech word order is more flexible than English.

Ostatní čekají u stolu. is a neutral, straightforward order.

But you could also say:

• U stolu čekají ostatní.

That would still mean roughly the same thing, but the emphasis changes. It might highlight where they are waiting, or contrast the others with someone else.

So the original sentence is probably the most neutral version.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

OH-stat-nee CHE-ka-yi oo STOH-loo

A few useful points:

• č sounds like ch in church
• j sounds like English y
• stress in Czech usually falls on the first syllable of each word

So:

• Ostatní → stress on O
• čekají → stress on če
• stolu → stress on sto

Not always. Ostatní can mean the others / the rest for people or things, depending on context.

In this sentence, it most naturally refers to people, because čekají means are waiting, which usually describes people or animals.

So here an English learner will usually understand it as:

• the others
• the rest of them

Because Czech often leaves subject pronouns out when they are clear from the verb form.

Since čekají already shows 3rd person plural, you do not need oni.

So Czech normally says:

• Ostatní čekají u stolu.

You could add oni in some contexts, but it would usually sound emphatic:

• Oni čekají u stolu. = They are the ones waiting at the table.

In the original sentence, leaving it out is completely normal.