Oběd je na stole.

Lunch is on the table.

Breakdown of Oběd je na stole.

• být: to be
• oběd: the lunch
• stůl: the table
• na: of

Questions & Answers about Oběd je na stole.

What exactly does oběd mean here? Does it mean “lunch” or “dinner”?

Oběd is most commonly translated as “lunch” in modern Czech.

Traditionally:

• oběd = the main midday meal (lunch)
• večeře = the evening meal (dinner/supper)

Some families or regions might use the words a bit more loosely, but if you just see oběd with no context, you should think “lunch”.

Why is there no article like “the” or “a” before oběd? Why not something like “Ten oběd je na stole”?

Czech has no articles (no words like “the” or “a/an”).

So:

• Oběd je na stole.
  can mean “Lunch is on the table” or “The lunch is on the table” depending on context.

If you really want to specify “that lunch”, you can add a demonstrative:

• Ten oběd je na stole. – That lunch is on the table.

But in most everyday situations, simple Oběd je na stole. is enough and natural.

What is the grammatical gender of oběd, and which form is it in here?