Mam wodę na stole.

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Breakdown of Mam wodę na stole.

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

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?