Questions & Answers about Na stole leży widelec.
What case is the word stole and why is it used here?
Stole is the locative singular of stół (table). After the preposition na, Polish uses:
- locative to answer “where?” (static location): na stole = on the table
- accusative to answer “onto where?” (movement): na stół = onto the table
Why does stół change to stole?
It’s case inflection plus a common vowel alternation:
- Nominative: stół
- Locative: stole (ending -e, and the spelling alternation ó → o) This ó → o change happens in many inflected forms and derivatives in Polish (e.g., stół → stole, bór → borze).
Why can’t I say na stołu?
Because stołu is genitive singular, not locative. The preposition na does not use genitive in this meaning. You use:
- na + locative for “where?” → na stole
- na + accusative for “onto where?” → na stół Genitive stołu appears after other words, e.g., nie ma stołu (there is no table), bez stołu (without a table).