Na stole je sůl, pepř a malá láhev oleje.

Because Czech uses different cases after na depending on whether you mean location or movement.

• na stole = on the table → location, so locative
• na stůl = onto the table → movement/direction, so accusative

So in this sentence, the things are already there, not moving there, which is why Czech uses na stole.

Stole is the locative singular of stůl (table).

The basic form is:

• stůl = table

After na when it means location, it changes to:

• na stole = on the table

This is a very common Czech pattern: a noun changes form depending on its role in the sentence.

That is just part of Czech noun declension. Some nouns change their stem slightly when they decline.

Here:

• stůl → stole

The ů disappears and an e appears in the declined form. English speakers often find this surprising, but it is normal in Czech. You usually have to learn the dictionary form and then get used to its case forms.

This sentence is a very natural presentational or existential type of sentence, similar to English There is/are ... on the table.

In Czech, when the verb comes before a list of things and the sentence is introducing what is present somewhere, singular je is very common:

• Na stole je sůl, pepř a malá láhev oleje.

You may also hear or see:

• Na stole jsou sůl, pepř a malá láhev oleje.

That uses regular plural agreement with the whole list. But je sounds very natural in this kind of here is what’s on the table sentence.

Because Czech has no articles.

So:

• sůl can mean salt, the salt, or sometimes some salt
• pepř can mean pepper or the pepper
• malá láhev oleje can mean a small bottle of oil or the small bottle of oil

Which one is meant depends on context.

Because malá has to agree with láhev in gender, number, and case.

• láhev (bottle) is feminine singular
• so the adjective must also be feminine singular
• therefore: malá láhev = small bottle

Compare:

• malý stůl = small table
• malá láhev = small bottle
• malé auto = small car

Because Czech uses the genitive after many container nouns, just like English uses of.

So:

• láhev oleje = bottle of oil

Here:

• láhev = bottle
• oleje = genitive singular of olej (oil)

This is a very common pattern:

• sklenice vody = glass of water
• šálek čaje = cup of tea
• láhev vína = bottle of wine

They are:

• sůl = feminine
• pepř = masculine inanimate
• láhev = feminine
• olej = masculine inanimate
• stůl = masculine inanimate

This matters because gender affects adjective endings and sometimes verb agreement.

For example, malá is feminine because it describes láhev.

Czech word order is fairly flexible.

This version:

• Na stole je sůl, pepř a malá láhev oleje.

is very natural if you want to start with the location and then say what is there.

Other possible versions include:

• Sůl, pepř a malá láhev oleje jsou na stole.

That version puts more focus on the things themselves.

So the sentence order is not random, but Czech often changes word order to shift focus or emphasis.

A few useful points:

• ů is pronounced like long ú:
  sůl sounds roughly like sool
• ř in pepř is the famous Czech sound with no exact English equivalent. It is something like an r and zh sound together.
• láhev is roughly LAA-hef in normal pronunciation, because final v is often devoiced to f

The hardest word here for most learners is pepř.

Literally, they mean salt and pepper as nouns.

In real-life context, though, a sentence like this could easily refer to the table having:

• salt and pepper as condiments available on the table, possibly in shakers or containers
• plus a small bottle of oil

Czech often leaves that kind of detail to context, just as English does.

Because it means of oil, not oils.

The word oleje here is genitive singular of olej. It is singular because the phrase means:

• a small bottle of oil

not

• a small bottle of oils

So the ending is caused by the case, not by the number.