Телефон лежит на столе, а ключи рядом.

Russian has no articles like a/an or the. So телефон can mean a phone or the phone, depending on context.

At the start of the sentence it is capitalized simply because it is the first word: Телефон лежит на столе.

Yes, лежит literally means is lying or lies, but in Russian it is very natural to use verbs like this for the position of objects.

So:

• Телефон лежит на столе = The phone is lying on the table / The phone is on the table

Russian often prefers a position verb where English just uses is:

• лежать = to lie
• стоять = to stand
• висеть = to hang

For many everyday objects, using these verbs sounds more natural than just saying they are somewhere.

Because телефон is singular.

• телефон = one phone
• лежит = singular lies / is lying

If the subject were plural, you would use лежат:

• Телефоны лежат на столе = The phones are lying on the table

Because after на meaning on, when you are talking about location, Russian normally uses the prepositional case.

So:

• стол = table
• на столе = on the table

This is a very common pattern:

• в доме = in the house
• на улице = on the street
• в книге = in the book

Here the sentence is about where the phone is located, so на столе uses the prepositional form.

No. На can take different cases depending on the meaning.

Here are the two most common patterns:

• на + prepositional = location
  
  • на столе = on the table
• на + accusative = motion onto something
  
  • на стол = onto the table

Compare:

• Телефон лежит на столе = The phone is on the table
• Положи телефон на стол = Put the phone onto the table

So the case changes depending on whether you describe location or movement toward a place.

А often means something like and, while, or whereas, depending on context. It connects two parts of the sentence while lightly contrasting or comparing them.

Here:

• Телефон лежит на столе, а ключи рядом.

This feels like:

• The phone is on the table, and the keys are nearby
• or The phone is on the table, while the keys are nearby

И would simply add information. А sounds more like setting the two locations side by side.

Yes, the full version would be:

• Телефон лежит на столе, а ключи лежат рядом.

But in Russian, when the verb is obvious from context, it is often left out in the second part of the sentence.

So:

• ключи рядом literally = the keys nearby
• understood meaning = the keys are nearby

This kind of omission is very common and natural.

Ключи is the plural nominative form of ключ (key).

• ключ = key
• ключи = keys

It is nominative because ключи is the subject of the second part of the sentence.

If you saw another case, the ending might change:

• нет ключей = there are no keys
• вижу ключи = I see the keys
• с ключами = with the keys

But here, ключи is just the basic plural subject form.

Рядом means nearby, close by, or next to [something] depending on context.

In this sentence, by itself, it means:

• nearby
• close by

So ключи рядом = the keys are nearby

If you want to say next to something specific, Russian often uses:

• рядом с ... = next to / beside ...

For example:

• Ключи рядом с телефоном = The keys are next to the phone

Russian word order is more flexible than English word order, although some versions sound more natural in a neutral context.

The original sentence is neutral and natural:

• Телефон лежит на столе, а ключи рядом.

You could also say:

• На столе лежит телефон, а рядом ключи.

This puts a little more focus on the location first: On the table is the phone, and nearby are the keys.

So yes, the order can change, but the original sentence is a very standard way to say it.

Normally, no. In modern Russian, есть is usually not used the way English uses is/are in simple location sentences.

So Russian says:

• Телефон на столе = The phone is on the table
• Телефон лежит на столе = The phone is lying on the table

Using есть here would sound unnatural.

Russian often simply leaves out is/are in the present tense, or uses a more specific verb like лежит.

Both are correct, but they are slightly different in feel.

• Телефон на столе = The phone is on the table
  This is simpler and just states location.
• Телефон лежит на столе = The phone is lying on the table
  This is a bit more descriptive and emphasizes the phone’s physical position.

In everyday Russian, both are common. The version with лежит sounds a little more vivid or precise.