Daljinski je na stolu, pored knjige.

Yes. Daljinski originally means something like remote or distance-related as an adjective, but in everyday Serbian it is very commonly used on its own to mean remote control.

The full phrase is daljinski upravljač, but native speakers often shorten it to just daljinski.

So in this sentence, daljinski is a noun in practical use, even though historically it comes from an adjective.

This is because je is a clitic form of biti (to be), and Serbian clitics typically go in second position in the sentence or clause.

So:

• Daljinski je na stolu.
• not normally Daljinski na stolu je.

The first element here is Daljinski, and the clitic je comes right after it.

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

• je
• sam
• si
• ga
• se
• mi, etc.

Because na can take different cases depending on whether you are talking about:

• location: where something is
• direction/movement: where something is going

Here, the remote is already on the table, so this is location, which requires the locative case after na.

So:

• na stolu = on the table (location)
• na sto = onto the table (movement, accusative)

Compare:

• Daljinski je na stolu. = The remote is on the table.
• Stavi daljinski na sto. = Put the remote onto the table.

Stolu is the locative singular of sto (table).

The noun changes because it follows na in a location meaning.

Basic forms:

• nominative: sto
• locative: stolu

So:

• sto = table
• na stolu = on the table

This is a common masculine noun pattern, although Serbian declension has several sub-patterns, so learners should get used to learning case forms with nouns.

Because pored requires the genitive case.

So:

• nominative: knjiga = book
• genitive: knjige

Therefore:

• pored knjige = next to / beside the book

Many Serbian prepositions require specific cases, and pored is one of the ones that regularly takes the genitive.

Other examples:

• pored kuće = next to the house
• pored prozora = next to the window

In this sentence, yes: pored means next to, beside, or by.

It shows proximity to something.

So pored knjige means the remote is beside the book.

Depending on context, English translations can vary a little:

• next to
• beside
• by

But the basic idea is the same.

The comma marks a small pause and separates two location phrases:

• na stolu = on the table
• pored knjige = next to the book

It helps structure the sentence a bit more clearly, especially in writing.

In many contexts, you may also see this without a comma:

• Daljinski je na stolu pored knjige.

That version is also understandable. The comma just makes pored knjige feel a bit more like an added detail.

Because Serbian does not have articles like English a/an/the.

So daljinski, stolu, and knjige do not need separate words for the.

Whether English uses a or the depends on context, but Serbian usually leaves that information unstated unless it needs to be clarified in some other way.

So:

• Daljinski je na stolu. can mean The remote is on the table or, in some contexts, A remote is on the table.

Usually the situation makes it clear.

Yes. Serbian word order is more flexible than English word order, although not completely free.

For example, you could also say:

• Daljinski je pored knjige, na stolu.
• Na stolu je daljinski, pored knjige.

These versions shift the emphasis a little:

• starting with Daljinski focuses first on the remote
• starting with Na stolu focuses first on the location

The original sentence is very natural and neutral.

Yes, it matters because gender affects adjective agreement and some declension patterns.

In this sentence:

• daljinski is treated as masculine
• sto is masculine
• knjiga is feminine

That matters especially when you add adjectives or pronouns. For example:

• crveni daljinski = the red remote
• velika knjiga = the big book

It also affects case endings, such as:

• knjiga → knjige
• sto → stolu

So even though the meaning is simple, the sentence gives you a good example of how Serbian case and gender work together.