Klej leży obok nożyczek i kolorowego papieru.

and

Breakdown of Klej leży obok nożyczek i kolorowego papieru.

• obok: next to
• leżeć: to lie
• papier: the paper

Questions & Answers about Klej leży obok nożyczek i kolorowego papieru.

Why is klej in the basic form, not changed to something like kleju?

Because klej is the subject of the sentence: the glue is the thing doing the “lying.”

In Polish, the subject is usually in the nominative case, and for this noun the nominative form is klej.

• klej = nominative singular
• kleju = usually genitive, dative, locative, or vocative singular, depending on context

So here:

• Klej leży... = The glue is lying/is located...

Why does the sentence use leży instead of jest?

Leży literally means is lying or lies, and it is commonly used for objects that are resting in a horizontal position.

So:

• Klej leży obok... = The glue is lying next to...

If you said Klej jest obok..., it would still be understandable and means The glue is next to..., but leży sounds more natural when talking about where an object is physically placed.

Compare:

• Książka leży na stole = The book is lying on the table
• Książka jest na stole = The book is on the table

Both can work, but leży gives a more physical, concrete sense.

Why is it obok nożyczek and not obok nożyczki?