Ogrlica je na stolu.

to be

Breakdown of Ogrlica je na stolu.

• sto: table
• na: on
• ogrlica: the collar

Questions & Answers about Ogrlica je na stolu.

Why is stolu used instead of stol?

Because na stolu expresses location: the necklace is on the table.

After the preposition na, Serbian uses different cases depending on meaning:

• na + locative = location, where something is
  
  • na stolu = on the table
• na + accusative = direction or movement toward a surface
  
  • na sto = onto the table

So in Ogrlica je na stolu, stolu is the locative singular form of stol.

What does je mean here?

Je is the 3rd person singular present form of the verb biti (to be).

So here it means is:

• Ogrlica je na stolu. = The necklace is on the table.

A useful thing to know is that je is a clitic, which means it usually appears in the second position in the sentence.

Why doesn’t Serbian use words like the or a?

Serbian has no articles.

So:

• ogrlica can mean a necklace or the necklace
• stolu can mean a table or the table, depending on context

English forces you to choose between a and the, but Serbian usually leaves that to context.