Slika je na stolu.

to be

Breakdown of Slika je na stolu.

• sto: table
• na: on
• slika: a picture or image

Questions & Answers about Slika je na stolu.

Why is je used here?

Je is the 3rd person singular present tense of biti (to be), so it means is.

• slika = the picture / image
• je = is
• na stolu = on the table

So the structure is very similar to English: Picture + is + on the table.

Why is it stolu and not sto or stol?

Because after na when it means on in a static location, Serbian uses the locative case.

The noun stol (table) changes in the locative singular:

• nominative: stol
• locative: stolu

So:

• na stolu = on the table

This is one of the most important things to notice in the sentence: the preposition affects the case of the noun.

Does na always take the locative case?

Not always. Na can take either:

• locative for location: on / at
• accusative for movement toward a place: onto / to

Compare:

• Slika je na stolu. = The picture is on the table.