Uprostřed pokoje je nový koberec a náš pes na něm už spí.

Uprostřed means in the middle of or in the center of.

So:

• uprostřed pokoje = in the middle of the room

It is a fixed expression that is commonly followed by a noun in the genitive case.

You can think of it as:

• uprostřed + genitive

Examples:

• uprostřed města = in the middle of the city
• uprostřed stolu = in the middle of the table
• uprostřed pokoje = in the middle of the room

Because uprostřed requires the genitive case, and pokoj changes in the genitive singular:

• nominative: pokoj = room
• genitive: pokoje = of the room

So:

• uprostřed pokoj ❌
• uprostřed pokoje ✅

This is one of the common things English speakers have to get used to in Czech: prepositions and set expressions often require specific cases.

Because nový koberec is the subject of the sentence, so it stays in the nominative case.

Here the structure is basically:

• Uprostřed pokoje = in the middle of the room
• je nový koberec = there is a new carpet

In Czech, there is is often just je plus a nominative noun:

• Na stole je kniha. = There is a book on the table.
• V kuchyni je lednice. = There is a fridge in the kitchen.

So:

• nový koberec is nominative singular
• it is not affected by uprostřed, because uprostřed only governs pokoje

Because Czech has no articles.

English distinguishes:

• a new carpet
• the new carpet

Czech simply says:

• nový koberec

The exact meaning depends on context. In this sentence, English naturally translates it as a new carpet, but Czech itself does not mark that difference with an article.

The same applies to náš pes:

• literally: our dog
• no the is needed in Czech

Nový koberec is nominative singular masculine inanimate.

Breakdown:

• koberec = carpet
• gender: masculine inanimate
• case here: nominative, because it is the subject

The adjective must agree with the noun:

• nový = new, masculine nominative singular
• koberec = carpet, masculine nominative singular

So the adjective and noun match in:

• gender
• number
• case

For the same reason as nový koberec: it is also in the nominative singular.

• pes = dog
• náš = our

Since pes is masculine singular, the possessive adjective takes the matching form:

• náš pes = our dog

Compare:

• náš pes = our dog
• naše kočka = our cat
• naše auto = our car

Again, Czech agreement is very important: the possessive word changes form to match the noun.

Because na něm expresses location, not motion.

In Czech, na can mean different things depending on the case:

• na + locative = on / on top of / on it, when something is already there
• na + accusative = onto / movement toward a surface

Here the dog is already sleeping on the carpet, so this is location:

• na něm = on it

Compare:

• Pes spí na něm. = The dog is sleeping on it.
• Pes si lehá na něj. = The dog is lying down onto it.

So:

• na něm = static location
• na něj = motion toward it

Něm is the locative singular form of the pronoun on after a preposition.

Here it refers to koberec:

• koberec = carpet
• na něm = on it

A useful thing to remember is that Czech personal pronouns often have special forms after prepositions, often with n-:

• o něm = about him/it
• na něm = on him/it
• v něm = in him/it

So the n- is normal here and is required after the preposition.

Yes. By itself, na něm can mean:

• on him
• on it

The exact meaning depends on what noun it refers to.

In this sentence, it refers to koberec (carpet), so the natural translation is:

• on it

Context makes that clear.

Už means already, and it often comes right before the verb it modifies.

So:

• už spí = is already sleeping / already sleeps

This is a very natural word order in Czech.

Other positions are sometimes possible for emphasis, but na něm už spí sounds normal and neutral here.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Czech does not have a separate progressive form like English is sleeping. The present tense form spí can cover both:

• the dog sleeps
• the dog is sleeping

In this sentence, because of the situation and the word už (already), English naturally prefers:

• our dog is already sleeping on it

Because Czech does not need an extra verb like is to form the present tense of ordinary verbs.

English:

• the dog is sleeping

Czech:

• pes spí

The verb spát = to sleep, and spí already means sleeps / is sleeping.

So:

• je is used in the first part because the verb there is být (to be): je nový koberec
• spí is a full verb on its own in the second part

Czech word order is more flexible than English word order because Czech uses case endings to show grammatical relationships.

This sentence starts with the location:

• Uprostřed pokoje = In the middle of the room

Then comes the verb:

• je

Then the subject:

• nový koberec

This is very natural in Czech, especially when introducing something in a place. It is similar to English There is a new carpet in the middle of the room, but Czech does not need a dummy subject like there.

The second clause also has natural Czech order:

• náš pes na něm už spí

This puts the dog first, then the location phrase, then už, then the verb.

You might hear other word orders, but they can sound different in emphasis.

The given sentence:

• Uprostřed pokoje je nový koberec

naturally emphasizes the location in the middle of the room.

If you change the order, the sentence may still be grammatical, but the focus changes. Czech word order is often used to highlight what is new, important, or contrasted.

So for a learner, the safest takeaway is:

• the given order is natural
• changing word order is possible, but it is not always neutral

Yes. In this sentence, a simply means and:

• nový koberec a náš pes na něm už spí
• a new carpet and our dog is already sleeping on it

Czech a is a very common coordinating conjunction.

Be careful not to confuse it with:

• English a = article
• Czech a = and

That can be a little confusing for English speakers at first.