Stolnjak je na stolu.

to be

Breakdown of Stolnjak je na stolu.

• sto: table
• na: on
• stolnjak: a tablecloth

Questions & Answers about Stolnjak je na stolu.

Why is it stolu, not sto?

Because sto is the basic dictionary form, but after na when you mean a location, Serbian uses the locative case.

This noun is a bit irregular:

• nominative: sto = table
• locative: stolu = on the table

So:

• Stolnjak je na stolu. = The tablecloth is on the table.

You will also see the stem stol- in other cases, for example:

• od stola = from the table
• sa stolom = with the table

What case is stolnjak in?

Stolnjak is in the nominative singular because it is the subject of the sentence — the thing being talked about.

In this sentence:

• stolnjak = the subject
• je = is
• na stolu = on the table

So the structure is basically:

• [subject] + [is] + [location]

What does je mean?

Je means is.

It is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb biti = to be.

So:

• ja sam = I am
• ti si = you are
• on/ona/ono je = he/she/it is

In Stolnjak je na stolu, je links the subject with its location, just like English is.