Račun je na stolu, ali ja još ne mogu da platim.

to be

Breakdown of Račun je na stolu, ali ja još ne mogu da platim.

• ja: I
• ne: not
• ali: but

Questions & Answers about Račun je na stolu, ali ja još ne mogu da platim.

Why does račun mean bill here? I thought it could also mean account or calculation.

Yes — račun has several meanings, and context decides which one is intended.

Common meanings of račun include:

• bill / check in a restaurant or café
• account (for example, a bank account)
• calculation / math problem
• sometimes invoice

In Račun je na stolu, the natural meaning is the bill/check is on the table.

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Why is it Račun je... and not Račun... je somewhere else?

Je is a short form of biti (to be) and it behaves like a clitic in Serbian. Clitics usually go in the second position of the sentence or clause.

So:

• Račun je na stolu. = correct, natural
• The first unit is Račun, and je comes right after it.

This second-position rule is very common in Serbian and affects words like:

• je, sam, si, smo, ste, su
• short pronouns like ga, mu, mi, etc.

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Why is it na stolu and not na sto?

Because na stolu expresses : the bill is .