На столі лежить якийсь документ.

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Breakdown of На столі лежить якийсь документ.

• стіл: the table
• документ: the document
• лежати: to lie
• якийсь: some

Questions & Answers about На столі лежить якийсь документ.

What case is the word столі, and why is it used here?

It’s the Locative (prepositional) case, singular of стіл (table). With location prepositions like на (on) and в/у (in) that express “where?”, Ukrainian uses the Locative:

• Location: на столі (on the table)
• Motion onto: на стіл (onto the table) — that uses the Accusative

Why does the subject come after the verb (… лежить якийсь документ)?

Ukrainian often places an indefinite or new piece of information after the verb, especially in “there is/are”–type sentences. Putting the place first sets the scene: На столі (as for the table), then the verb and the new subject: лежить якийсь документ. You can also say Якийсь документ лежить на столі if you want to emphasize the document.

Why is it лежить and not лежать?

Agreement. Документ is singular, so the verb is 3rd person singular лежить. For plural you’d use лежать (see below for the plural sentence).

Can I use є instead of лежить (like “there is”)?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

• На столі є (якийсь) документ. — simply states existence on the table.
• На столі лежить (якийсь) документ. — adds the idea that it’s lying there (more natural for an object on a surface). Note: In Ukrainian, the present-tense copula є is often omitted, so Документ на столі is also possible in the right context.

What exactly does якийсь mean?

It’s an indefinite pronoun meaning “some / some kind of,” signaling the speaker doesn’t know or doesn’t care which one. It’s masculine nominative singular here to agree with документ. Other common forms:

• Feminine: якась
• Neuter: якесь
• Plural: якісь Other options and nuances:
• деякий = some (more specific/known to the speaker in some contexts)
• який-небудь = any/some … or other (more “whichever”/random)
• будь-який = any (no restrictions)

Can I omit якийсь?

Yes: На столі лежить документ. Without якийсь, the sentence is more neutral; context will decide if it’s definite or indefinite. Adding якийсь makes its “unknown/unspecified” nature explicit.

What’s the difference between на столі and на стіл?

• на столі (Locative) answers “where?” — on the table (static location).
• на стіл (Accusative) answers “onto where?” — onto the table (motion/direction). Compare: Книга на столі. vs Покладіть книгу на стіл.

How would I say it in the plural?

На столі лежать якісь документи. Changes:

• Verb to plural: лежать
• Noun to plural: документи
• Indefinite pronoun to plural: якісь

Does якийсь have to agree with документ?

Yes. It agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun:

• Masculine: якийсь документ
• Feminine: якась книжка
• Neuter: якесь фото
• Plural: якісь документи

Is на столу ever correct?

Not in standard modern Ukrainian. The correct standard form is на столі. На столу is archaic/regional.

Pronunciation tips for the whole sentence?

• На столі: nah sto-LEE (stress on -лі)
• лежить: leh-ZHYTʹ (stress on -жит; ж = zh as in “measure”; the soft sign ь softens the final sound)
• якийсь: ya-KYISʹ (stress on -кий; final сь is soft)
• документ: do-koo-MENT (stress on -мент)

Could I use стоїть instead of лежить?

Стоїть means “stands.” Use it for upright/vertical position (e.g., a book standing on its edge, a vase). A document on a table normally лежить.