Lopatka je pod stolem.

Because pod changes case depending on meaning.

• pod + instrumental = location, meaning under
• pod + accusative = movement toward a position under something, meaning to under / underneath

In Lopatka je pod stolem, the sentence describes where the object is, not movement, so Czech uses the instrumental case:

• stůl = table
• stolem = under the table / with the table in instrumental

Compare:

• Lopatka je pod stolem. = The shovel/spatula is under the table.
• Dám lopatku pod stůl. = I’ll put the shovel/spatula under the table.

Stolem is the instrumental singular form of stůl.

So the noun changes like this:

• nominative: stůl = table
• instrumental: stolem

After pod when talking about location, Czech requires the instrumental, so stůl becomes stolem.

Je is the 3rd person singular form of být (to be) and means is.

So:

• lopatka = the shovel/spatula
• je = is
• pod stolem = under the table

In normal standard Czech, je is used here just as in English.
You may sometimes see very informal or headline-style omission of je, but for learners, the correct full sentence is:

• Lopatka je pod stolem.

Lopatka is feminine.

A useful clue is that many Czech nouns ending in -a are feminine. Because of that, adjectives and some past-tense forms would agree with it as feminine.

For example:

• Ta lopatka je malá. = The shovel/spatula is small.

Here:

• ta = feminine that/the
• malá = feminine form of small

Stůl is masculine inanimate.

That matters because Czech nouns change form according to gender and case. In this sentence, the important result is the instrumental form:

• stůl → stolem

If it were a different noun with a different gender, the ending might be different.

Czech normally does not use articles like a and the.

So Lopatka je pod stolem could mean:

• The shovel/spatula is under the table
• A shovel/spatula is under the table

The exact choice depends on context. Czech speakers understand definiteness from the situation, previous conversation, emphasis, and word order.

Yes. Czech word order is more flexible than English because case endings show grammatical roles.

The neutral version is:

• Lopatka je pod stolem.

But you could also say:

• Pod stolem je lopatka.

Both are grammatical. The difference is mainly emphasis:

• Lopatka je pod stolem. focuses first on the shovel/spatula
• Pod stolem je lopatka. focuses first on the location

So Czech word order often reflects what is already known and what is new or emphasized.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

LO-pat-ka ye pot STO-lem

A few details:

• Stress in Czech is usually on the first syllable of each word:
  • LOpatka
  • YE
  • POD
  • STOlem
• j is pronounced like English y in yes
• je sounds roughly like ye
• In normal speech, d in pod may sound a bit like t before the following s sound, so learners may hear something close to pot stolem

Lopatka can have several meanings in Czech, depending on context. Common ones include:

• a small shovel or scoop
• a spatula
• a dustpan-like tool
• the shoulder blade (scapula) in anatomy

In your sentence, the intended meaning is already given, so you should follow that context. This is normal in Czech: one word can cover several related meanings.

Use pod + accusative when there is movement to a position under something.

Use pod + instrumental when something is already located under something.

Compare:

• Lopatka je pod stolem.
  The shovel/spatula is under the table.
  → location → instrumental

• Položím lopatku pod stůl.
  I’ll put the shovel/spatula under the table.
  → movement/direction → accusative

This location-vs-movement contrast is very common with Czech prepositions.

Because lopatka is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case.

The basic structure is:

• Lopatka = subject, nominative
• je = verb
• pod stolem = prepositional phrase showing location

Only stůl changes here because the preposition pod requires the instrumental in this meaning.

No. The correct form is pod stolem.

The noun stůl has an irregular vowel change in some forms:

• nominative: stůl
• instrumental singular: stolem

So even though the base form has ů, that vowel does not stay the same in every case form.

Yes. Lopatka je pod stolem. is a completely natural and grammatically correct Czech sentence.

It is simple, but it uses several important Czech patterns:

• subject in the nominative
• present tense of být
• pod with the instrumental for location
• no article (a / the)

So it is a very useful model sentence for beginners.