Kajak a kánoe jsou u břehu.

Because the subject is plural: kajak a kánoe = the kayak and the canoe.

In Czech, when two things are joined by a (and), the verb is normally plural.

• je = is (singular)
• jsou = are (plural)

So:

• Kajak je u břehu. = The kayak is by the shore.
• Kajak a kánoe jsou u břehu. = The kayak and the canoe are by the shore.

Czech does not have articles like English a/an and the.

So kajak can mean:

• a kayak
• the kayak

and kánoe can mean:

• a canoe
• the canoe

You understand which one is meant from context.

So Kajak a kánoe jsou u břehu could be understood as:

• A kayak and a canoe are by the shore
• The kayak and the canoe are by the shore

depending on the situation.

Because the preposition u requires the genitive case.

The basic dictionary form is:

• břeh = shore, bank

But after u (by, near, at), břeh changes to the genitive singular:

• břeh → břehu

So:

• u břehu = by the shore / near the bank

This is a very common pattern in Czech: prepositions often force a specific case.

Here u means by, near, or at.

So u břehu means:

• by the shore
• near the bank
• at the shore

It usually suggests being close to something rather than directly on it.

Compare:

• u domu = by the house
• u vody = by the water
• u školy = by the school

So in this sentence, the kayak and canoe are located near the shore.

Kánoe is one of the Czech nouns that often has a foreign-looking form and does not behave like a very typical native noun.

In the nominative singular, it is:

• kánoe = canoe

In many forms, words like this may stay unchanged or feel less regular to learners than ordinary Czech nouns.

At the level of this sentence, the important thing is simply that kánoe is the subject and appears in its basic form.

Also notice that the verb is still plural because the whole subject is plural:

• kajak a kánoe → jsou

This is a very normal, neutral Czech word order:

subject + verb + place

• Kajak a kánoe = subject
• jsou = verb
• u břehu = place expression

Czech word order is more flexible than English because case endings help show grammatical roles. So other orders are possible, for example:

• U břehu jsou kajak a kánoe.

This might sound more like By the shore there are a kayak and a canoe or put more focus on the location.

But the original sentence is the most straightforward and neutral one.

A rough pronunciation guide:

• kánoe ≈ KAA-no-eh
• břehu is harder for English speakers because of ř

A rough approximation of břehu is something like:

• brzhe-hoo

But ř is a special Czech sound, not exactly an English sound. It is somewhat like a rolled or buzzing r mixed with zh.

Also:

• á is a long vowel
• e is pronounced clearly, not silent
• h is always pronounced

So:

• kajak ≈ KAI-yak
• kánoe ≈ KAA-no-eh
• jsou ≈ ysoh
• u břehu ≈ oo brzhe-hoo

Because vowel length is part of Czech spelling and pronunciation, and each word has its own standard form.

• kajak has short vowels
• kánoe has a long á

In Czech, vowel length can matter, so accents are important. The mark over á shows that the vowel is long.

So you should learn the spelling together with the pronunciation:

• kajak
• kánoe

Yes, but it means something slightly different.

• u břehu = by / near the shore
• na břehu = on the shore / on the bank

So:

• Kajak a kánoe jsou u břehu.
  = They are near the shore, probably in the water close to it or just beside it.

• Kajak a kánoe jsou na břehu.
  = They are on the shore, physically resting on land.

So the choice of preposition changes the meaning.

They are in the nominative case, because they are the subject of the sentence.

The structure is:

• Kajak a kánoe = nominative subject
• jsou = verb
• u břehu = prepositional phrase, with břehu in the genitive after u

So this sentence shows two very common things at once:

1. subjects are in the nominative
2. u takes the genitive

It can mean either, depending on context.

• near a lake or sea: shore
• near a river: bank

So u břehu can be translated as:

• by the shore
• by the bank

The exact English word depends on what kind of water is being talked about. In your sentence, if there is no more context, shore is a natural general translation.