Všichni už sedí u stolu.

Všichni means everyone or all of them when talking about people.

Grammatically, it is a plural form, even though English often uses singular everyone. Czech treats this idea as a group of people, so the verb is also plural: sedí = they are sitting.

For example:

• Všichni už sedí. = Everyone is already sitting.
• Všichni přišli. = Everyone came.

Because Czech focuses on the idea of all the people in the group, not on a grammatically singular word like English everyone.

So Czech uses:

• všichni = all people / everyone
• a plural verb: sedí

That is why you get:

• Všichni už sedí u stolu.

not a singular verb.

Sedí is the 3rd person plural present tense of sedět, which means to sit.

So:

• já sedím = I sit / I am sitting
• ty sedíš = you sit / you are sitting
• on/ona sedí = he/she sits
• oni sedí = they sit / they are sitting

In this sentence, sedí matches všichni, because všichni refers to a group.

It can mean either, depending on context.

In a sentence like Všichni už sedí u stolu, the natural English translation is often:

• Everyone is already sitting at the table
• or Everyone is already seated at the table

Czech sedět can describe both the action/state of sitting and the resulting position.

Už means already.

It tells you that the situation has happened earlier than expected, or that it is now true.

So:

• Všichni sedí u stolu. = Everyone is sitting at the table.
• Všichni už sedí u stolu. = Everyone is already sitting at the table.

A very common pair is:

• ještě = still / yet
• už = already / now already

Because u means at / by / near, while na means on.

So:

• u stolu = at the table
• na stole = on the table

If you say Všichni už sedí u stolu, it means they are sitting around or at the table, not physically on top of it.

Because the preposition u requires the genitive case.

The noun stůl is the dictionary form, but after u, it becomes stolu:

• stůl = table
• u stolu = at the table

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

Czech has no articles, so there is no direct equivalent of a or the.

Whether stůl/stolu means a table or the table depends on context. In this sentence, English usually uses the table because the situation is specific and natural:

• Všichni už sedí u stolu. = Everyone is already sitting at the table.

But Czech does not need a separate word for the.

Because Czech often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed.

The verb ending already tells you the subject:

• sedí can mean he/she sits or they sit, but here všichni already makes it clear that the subject is plural.

So Czech does not need oni here.

A full version like Všichni už oni sedí u stolu would sound wrong.
And Oni už sedí u stolu is possible, but it would mean They are already sitting at the table, without the emphasis of everyone.

No, Czech word order is fairly flexible, but different orders sound more or less natural depending on emphasis.

The neutral version here is:

• Všichni už sedí u stolu.

You could also hear:

• Už všichni sedí u stolu.
• U stolu už sedí všichni.

These versions shift the focus a little:

• Už všichni... emphasizes already
• U stolu... emphasizes at the table
• ...všichni can emphasize everyone

So the original sentence is a normal, natural default order.

A rough English-friendly guide is:

• vshi-kh-nee

A few important points:

• vš is pronounced together, something like vsh
• ch in Czech is one sound, like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
• the stress in Czech is almost always on the first syllable, so: VŠIchni

Learners often find všichni tricky at first, but it becomes easier with practice.

Yes, that is often a perfectly natural translation.

Literally, Czech says Everyone is already sitting at the table, but in English we often simplify that to:

• Everybody is already at the table

That said, the Czech sentence specifically includes sedí, so the image is that they are seated, not just somewhere nearby.

Yes, but it depends on who you are talking about.

• všichni is used for a group of people that is masculine animate or mixed
• všechny is used for an all-female group or with some non-masculine plural nouns

So if you are talking about a group of women, you could say:

• Všechny už sedí u stolu. = All the women / all of them are already sitting at the table.

But as a general everyone referring to people, všichni is the usual form.