Learn Hardcore Polish: Ona siedzi przy stole w kuchni. - She is sitting at the table in the kitchen.

Polish is a pro‑drop language: the verb ending -i in siedzi already shows 3rd person singular (“he/she/it”).
You usually keep ona only when you want to emphasize she (not someone else), or when context is unclear.

Does siedzi mean “she sits” or “she is sitting”? How do I know?

Siedzi (from siedzieć) can mean both:

She sits at the table (habitually).
She is sitting at the table (right now).

Polish has one present tense, used for both simple present and present continuous. Context tells you which one is meant.

If you really want to stress “right now”, you can add an adverb:

Ona teraz siedzi przy stole. – She is sitting at the table now.
Zawsze siedzi przy stole. – She always sits at the table.

What is the infinitive of siedzi, and is there a different verb for “to sit down”?

The infinitive is siedzieć – to sit / to be sitting (a state).

Polish often distinguishes between state and action of starting that state:

siedzieć – to sit / be in a sitting position (imperfective, state)
siadać – to sit down (repeatedly, or generally; imperfective)
usiąść – to sit down (one complete action; perfective)

In your sentence, siedzi describes the state: she is in a sitting position.

Why is it przy stole and not przy stół?

Because the preposition przy (“by / at / near”) requires the locative case.

Dictionary form: stół (nominative – “table”).
Locative singular: stole.

Preposition + locative:

przy stole – at/by the table
przy oknie – by the window
przy biurku – at the desk

So the grammar rule is: przy + locative → przy stole.

What’s the difference between przy stole, na stole, and za stołem?

They all involve a table, but in different ways:

przy stole – at the table, sitting or standing next to it, usually to use it.
- Ona siedzi przy stole. – She is sitting at the table.
na stole – on the table, physically on its surface.
- Talerz jest na stole. – The plate is on the table.
za stołem – behind the table (often from the observer’s point of view) or “at the table” with a more “behind it” feel.
- On stoi za stołem. – He is standing behind the table.
- Rodzina siedzi za stołem. – The family is sitting at/behind the table.

For a person sitting and using the table, przy stole is the normal phrase.

Why is it w kuchni and not w kuchnia?

Again, this is the locative case.

Dictionary form: kuchnia (nominative – “kitchen”).
Locative singular: kuchni (used after some prepositions).

The preposition w meaning “in / inside” normally takes the locative:

w kuchni – in the kitchen
w domu – at home / in the house
w szkole – at school / in the school

So the pattern is: w + locative → w kuchni.

What’s the difference between w and na? Why w kuchni, not na kuchni?

Very roughly:

w = in, inside
na = on, on top of, at (some locations)

For a room like a kitchen, you’re inside it, so Polish uses w:

w kuchni – in the kitchen
w salonie – in the living room

Na kuchni is normally wrong in this sense; it would sound like “on the kitchen” (physically on top!), which makes no sense.

However, Polish sometimes uses na where English says “in/at”:

na uniwersytecie – at university
na dworcu – at the (train) station
na lotnisku – at the airport

But for rooms in a house: w kuchni, w łazience, w pokoju, etc.

What cases are used in the sentence Ona siedzi przy stole w kuchni?

There are three different cases:

Ona – nominative (who? what?)
- Subject of the sentence: She.
stole – locative after przy
- przy stole – at/by the table.
kuchni – locative after w
- w kuchni – in the kitchen.

So this short sentence already shows:

Nominative for the subject.
Locative after the prepositions przy and w (with the “in” meaning).

Is the word order fixed? Can I say Ona w kuchni siedzi przy stole or W kuchni ona siedzi przy stole?

Word order in Polish is fairly flexible, unlike in English. All of these are grammatically possible:

Ona siedzi przy stole w kuchni. – neutral, basic order.
Ona w kuchni siedzi przy stole. – small emphasis on w kuchni.
W kuchni ona siedzi przy stole. – strong emphasis on in the kitchen (not somewhere else).
Przy stole w kuchni siedzi ona. – emphasizes ona (“she” in contrast to others).

The general rule: meaning is mostly carried by endings, and word order is used to show topic and emphasis, not basic grammar relations.

How do I say “at a table” vs “at the table”? There’s no “a/the” in przy stole.

Polish has no articles (a/an/the), so przy stole can mean either:

at a table
at the table

Context decides whether it’s specific or general:

Ona siedzi przy stole w kuchni.
- If we already know which kitchen: likely at the table (in that kitchen).
- In a more general description: it could be at a table (not specified).

If you really need to stress “this particular table”, you can add a demonstrative:

przy tym stole – at this table
przy tamtym stole – at that table

How would the verb siedzieć change with different subjects (I, you, we, etc.)?

Present tense of siedzieć:

ja siedzę – I sit / am sitting
ty siedzisz – you sit / are sitting (singular, informal)
on / ona / ono siedzi – he / she / it sits / is sitting
my siedzimy – we sit / are sitting
wy siedzicie – you sit / are sitting (plural)
oni / one siedzą – they sit / are sitting

So:

Ona siedzi przy stole. – She is sitting at the table.
Oni siedzą przy stole. – They (masc. or mixed) are sitting at the table.
One siedzą przy stole. – They (all-female or non‑masc. things) are sitting at the table.

Could przy be used with people, like “next to her”?

Yes. Przy means “by / near / next to / at” and can be used with people too (still with the locative case):

Usiadł przy niej. – He sat down next to her.
Stał przy mnie. – He stood next to me.
Dziecko śpi przy mamie. – The child sleeps next to its mom.

In your sentence, przy stole is “by the table”, but the same preposition przy can locate someone next to objects or people.