U nas w kuchni proszek stoi obok płynu, a miotła obok mopa.

U nas literally means something like at us, but in natural English it is usually:

• at our place
• in our home
• where we live
• sometimes where we are / where we work, depending on context

In this sentence, U nas w kuchni... means something like In our home, in the kitchen... or At our place, in the kitchen....

So u nas is a general location, and w kuchni makes it more specific.

Yes, they are both location phrases, but they do different jobs:

• u nas = the broader setting: at our place / in our home
• w kuchni = the specific place: in the kitchen

So the sentence narrows the location step by step:

• u nas → where?
• w kuchni → exactly where there?

That is very natural in Polish. English can do something similar: At our place, in the kitchen, ...

Because after w when it means in for location, Polish uses the locative case.

The noun is:

• kuchnia = kitchen

In the locative singular, it becomes:

• w kuchni = in the kitchen

So:

• kuchnia = dictionary form / nominative
• w kuchni = locative after w

This is a very common pattern in Polish:

• w domu = in the house
• w sklepie = in the shop
• w szkole = at school
• w kuchni = in the kitchen

Because obok takes the genitive case.

So the basic nouns are:

• płyn = liquid
• mop = mop

But after obok they change to genitive:

• obok płynu = next to the liquid
• obok mopa = next to the mop

This is something you simply have to learn with the preposition:

• obok + genitive

Other examples:

• obok stołu = next to the table
• obok drzwi = next to the door
• obok mnie = next to me

Yes, stoi literally means stands, from the verb stać.

In Polish, verbs like stać are often used for the position of objects, not just people. So Polish is more specific than English here.

• stać = to stand
• leżeć = to lie
• wisieć = to hang

So if something is upright or treated as being in a standing position, Polish often says stoi.

In this sentence:

• proszek stoi obok płynu literally = the powder stands next to the liquid

Natural English would usually say:

• the powder is next to the liquid

But Polish often prefers the more physical verb.

Because Polish often omits repeated words when they are easy to understand from context.

The full version would be:

• U nas w kuchni proszek stoi obok płynu, a miotła stoi obok mopa.

But repeating stoi is unnecessary, so Polish shortens it to:

• ..., a miotła obok mopa.

This is very common. English does something similar sometimes:

• John is in the kitchen, and Mary in the living room.

Even though English usually prefers the repeated verb more than Polish does.

Both a and i can often be translated as and, but they are not the same.

In this sentence, a links two parallel pieces of information and gives a slight contrast or separation:

• proszek stoi obok płynu
• a miotła obok mopa

So a here is like:

• and
• while
• whereas
• and as for

It sounds more natural than i because the sentence is comparing two separate arrangements.

Very roughly:

• i = simple addition
• a = addition with contrast, shift, or parallel comparison

Literally:

• proszek = powder
• płyn = liquid

But in household context, these words are often shorthand for cleaning products, for example:

• proszek = washing powder / detergent powder
• płyn = liquid detergent / cleaning liquid / fabric softener, depending on context

Polish often uses these shorter everyday nouns when the situation makes the meaning obvious.

So the sentence is probably talking about household items arranged in the kitchen, not just any random powder and liquid.

Because miotła is the subject of the second part of the sentence, while mopa comes after obok, which requires the genitive.

So:

• miotła = nominative, because it is the thing being talked about
• mopa = genitive, because of obok

The hidden full structure is:

• miotła stoi obok mopa

Compare:

• Kot stoi obok stołu.
• The cat stands next to the table.

Here too:

• kot = nominative subject
• stołu = genitive after obok

Polish word order is quite flexible, because endings show grammatical relationships.

This sentence could be rearranged in different ways, for example:

• W kuchni u nas proszek stoi obok płynu, a miotła obok mopa.
• Proszek u nas w kuchni stoi obok płynu, a miotła obok mopa.

But the original order is natural because it starts with the setting:

• U nas w kuchni...

That feels like: As for our place, in the kitchen...

So yes, the word order can change, but the original version sounds natural and organized.

Yes, normally yes.

In Polish, when a joins two clauses or two clearly separate parts of a sentence, it is usually preceded by a comma.

So:

• ..., a miotła obok mopa.

That comma is standard Polish punctuation.

Even though the second part omits the verb stoi, it still functions like a coordinated clause, so the comma stays.

Grammatically, Polish allows some flexibility, but not every order sounds equally natural.

The original:

• a miotła obok mopa

is the most straightforward and neutral.

A version like:

• a obok mopa miotła

is possible only in a marked or poetic/emphatic context, and it sounds much less normal in everyday speech.

So for a learner, the safe pattern is:

• subject + location phrase
• miotła obok mopa

If the verb is included, the full normal version is:

• a miotła stoi obok mopa

Yes, in two ways.

First, Polish uses stoi where English often just says is.

Second, Polish is happy to omit the repeated verb in the second part.

So a more literal English version would be something like:

• At our place in the kitchen, the powder stands next to the liquid, and the broom next to the mop.

But natural English would usually say:

• In our kitchen, the powder is next to the liquid, and the broom is next to the mop.

So the Polish is perfectly natural, even if a word-for-word translation sounds a bit unusual in English.