Виски стоит на столе.

Because виски is a borrowed word, and its ending is just part of the word, not a normal Russian plural ending here.

So in this sentence, виски is a singular noun, which you can see from the singular verb стоит.

Compare:

• книги стоят = books are standing
• виски стоит = whisky is standing / the whisky is on the table

So even though -и often looks plural in Russian, with this word it does not mean plural.

In standard Russian, виски is usually treated as masculine.

You can see that in words that agree with it:

• хороший виски = good whisky
• дорогой виски = expensive whisky

In the present tense, стоит does not show gender, so you cannot tell the gender from this sentence alone. But in the past tense you would normally get masculine agreement:

• Виски стоял на столе. = The whisky was on the table.

Because виски is an indeclinable noun. That means it usually keeps the same form in all cases.

For example, the noun itself stays виски:

• Я люблю виски.
• Нет виски.
• Мы говорим о виски.

The grammar is shown by the rest of the sentence, especially prepositions and agreeing words, not by changing виски itself.

Russian often uses a position verb where English would simply use is.

Here, стоить is not the verb. This is стоять = to stand. So стоит means is standing.

Russian commonly distinguishes between:

• стоять = to stand, be upright
• лежать = to lie, be lying horizontally
• сидеть = to sit, be in a seated/attached position

So Виски стоит на столе suggests something upright, such as a bottle or a glass of whisky, is on the table.

In natural English, you would often just say The whisky is on the table, but Russian is being more specific about position.

Yes. That is a very common learner question.

There are two different verbs here:

• стои́т from стоять = is standing
• сто́ит from стоить = costs / is worth

In normal Russian writing, stress marks are usually not written, so both appear as стоит. You understand the meaning from context.

Here, на столе makes it clear that this means is standing / is on the table, not costs.

Because на столе expresses location: on the table.

After на, Russian uses different cases depending on meaning:

• на столе = on the table → location
• на стол = onto the table → movement toward the surface

So:

• Виски стоит на столе. = The whisky is on the table.
• Я ставлю виски на стол. = I am putting the whisky onto the table.

It is the prepositional case singular of стол.

Base form:

• стол = table

After на when it means location, it becomes:

• на столе = on the table

So the ending -е is the normal prepositional singular ending for many masculine nouns.

Yes, absolutely. That is very natural Russian.

Both are grammatical, but the focus changes a little:

• Виски стоит на столе.
  Focuses first on виски; you are talking about the whisky and saying where it is.

• На столе стоит виски.
  Focuses first on the location; it sounds more like There is whisky on the table or On the table there is whisky.

Russian word order is more flexible than English, and changing it often changes emphasis rather than basic meaning.

Not literally. In practice, this usually means that a container of whisky is standing on the table, such as:

• a bottle
• a glass
• possibly another container

Russian, like English, can use the name of the contents to refer to the container. English does something similar in sentences like The coffee is on the table, where you often really mean the cup of coffee.

So виски стоит usually implies something containing whisky is standing upright.

Because Russian has no articles.

Russian does not have direct equivalents of English the and a/an in normal usage. Whether English needs the, a, or sometimes some depends on context.

So this Russian sentence could correspond to different English versions depending on the situation, for example:

• The whisky is on the table.
• A bottle of whisky is on the table.
• There is some whisky on the table.

Russian leaves that to context.

Sometimes, but not with exactly the same meaning.

Russian does not usually use есть as a normal present-tense equivalent of English is in simple location sentences.

So:

• Виски стоит на столе. = The whisky is standing / is on the table.

If you say:

• На столе есть виски.

that means something more like:

• There is whisky on the table
• There is some whisky available on the table

That version emphasizes existence/presence, not the upright position of a bottle or glass.

So стоит is the better choice when you want the idea of something being physically there in a standing position.