Mam wodę na stole.

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Breakdown of Mam wodę na stole.

• mieć: to have
• woda: the water
• na: on
• stół: the table

Questions & Answers about Mam wodę na stole.

Why is the word wodę used here instead of woda?

In Polish, wodę is the accusative form of woda. The accusative case is needed because the verb mam (to have) directly governs its object, which in this sentence is woda (water). Therefore, we say mam wodę rather than mam woda.

What case is used in na stole, and why?

After the preposition na (meaning on), we often use the locative case to show a static location. The locative form of stół (table) is stole, so you get na stole.

Could the sentence be written differently if I used another preposition, like w?

If you used w (which generally translates as in), you would say mam wodę w stole, indicating the water is inside the table, which likely doesn't make much sense. So na is the natural choice here to say it is on top of the table.

Is it necessary to use any article (like 'the' or 'a') in Polish, as in English?

Polish doesn't use articles like English does. There's no direct equivalent of 'a' or 'the'. You simply say mam wodę without adding any article. Context typically covers the sense of definiteness or indefiniteness.

If I wanted to make this sentence negative, how would I do that?

To negate the sentence, you’d add nie right before the verb: Nie mam wody na stole (I don’t have water on the table). Notice that wody appears in the genitive case after negation, replacing the accusative form wodę.