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Questions & Answers about Ładowarka jest na stole.
Why is ładowarka in the nominative case here?
Because ładowarka is the grammatical subject of the verb jest (to be). In Polish, the subject always appears in the nominative case, and feminine nouns ending in -a keep that ending in the nominative singular.
What does jest mean and which tense is it?
Jest is the third-person-singular present tense of być (to be). It corresponds to the English is.
Why is the preposition na used here, and why does stół change to stole?
When na expresses location (i.e. “on” something), it requires the locative (miejscownik) case. The noun stół (table) in locative singular becomes stole.
Example declension of stół:
nominative stół – genitive stołu – dative stołowi – accusative stół – instrumental stołem – locative stole.
Why doesn’t Polish use articles like the or a before ładowarka?
Polish has no articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is understood from context, so you simply say ładowarka jest na stole without needing the or a.
What’s the difference between ładowarka jest na stole, ładowarka leży na stole, and ładowarka znajduje się na stole?
• Jest na stole – neutral is on the table.
• Leży na stole – “lies on the table,” emphasizing that it’s resting horizontally.
• Znajduje się na stole – more formal, “is located on the table.”
Is it correct to drop jest in casual speech and say Ładowarka na stole?
Yes. In everyday conversation or quick notes, speakers often omit jest. Ładowarka na stole is perfectly understandable as “The charger is on the table,” though in formal writing you’d include jest.
How do you pronounce Ładowarka, and where is the stress?
The letter Ł sounds like English w, so Ładowarka is pronounced /wa.doˈvar.ka/. Polish stress is almost always on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable, here -var-.
Can I change the word order, for example Na stole jest ładowarka?
Absolutely. Thanks to case endings, Polish word order is flexible. Placing Na stole first emphasizes the location, but the overall meaning remains “The charger is on the table.”