Колода на столі.

In Ukrainian, the present-tense verb to be is usually omitted.

So where English says:

• The deck is on the table

Ukrainian normally just says:

• Колода на столі

This is completely natural and standard.
You can sometimes see є for is/there is, but in a simple sentence like this, leaving it out is the normal choice.

Because after на when it means on in the sense of location, the noun usually goes into the locative case.

So:

• стіл = table dictionary form, nominative
• на столі = on the table, locative

This is a very common pattern:

• на столі = on the table
• на вулиці = on the street / outside
• на роботі = at work

So столі is not a different word; it is a different case form of стіл.

Колода is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Even though there is no written word for is, the structure is still basically:

• Колода = the subject
• на столі = where it is

So the underlying meaning is:

• The deck/log is on the table

That is why колода stays in the nominative.

Here на means on.

So:

• на столі = on the table

But на is a very common preposition and can have other meanings depending on context, such as at, to, or for in some expressions.

In this sentence, though, the meaning is straightforwardly on.

Almost, yes:

• Колода = deck / log / block, depending on context
• на = on
• столі = table in the locative case

So a literal gloss would be:

• Deck/log on table

And natural English adds the verb:

• The deck/log is on the table

Not always. Колода can mean different things depending on context, such as:

• a deck of cards
• a log
• a block of wood

If the intended meaning is deck of cards, Ukrainian often says колода карт very explicitly.

So if you see just колода, the exact meaning depends on context. Since the meaning has already been given to the learner, the main grammar point is still the same.

Because Ukrainian does not have articles like a and the.

So:

• колода can mean a deck, the deck, or just deck, depending on context
• на столі can mean on a table or on the table, again depending on context

English requires articles, but Ukrainian does not.

You technically can, but in most ordinary situations it sounds less natural than simply:

• Колода на столі

Using є can add emphasis or appear in certain styles, but for a basic statement of location, Ukrainian normally leaves it out.

So for a learner, the best default is:

• Колода на столі = The deck is on the table

Yes. Ukrainian word order is more flexible than English.

For example, these can all be possible depending on emphasis:

• Колода на столі
• На столі колода

The version with Колода first is a neutral way to introduce the thing and then say where it is.
The version with На столі first can emphasize the location more, something like On the table, there is a deck or The deck is on the table with focus on on the table.

So word order can change, but it changes focus more than basic meaning.

Not always. It depends on whether на shows location or movement.

• на столі = on the table → location → locative
• на стіл = onto the table → movement toward a place → usually accusative

Compare:

• Колода на столі = The deck is on the table
• Я кладу колоду на стіл = I put the deck onto the table

This location-vs-movement contrast is very important in Ukrainian.

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

• ko-LO-da na sto-LI

with the stress on:

• коло́да
• столі́

A rough English-style approximation would be:

• koh-LOH-dah nah stoh-LEE

Of course, the Ukrainian sounds are not exactly the same as English ones, but this is a useful starting point.

It is a complete, natural sentence.

Even though English needs is, Ukrainian does not in the present tense for this kind of statement. So to a Ukrainian speaker, Колода на столі does not sound incomplete at all.

It is a normal sentence meaning that something is located somewhere.

Колода is feminine, which you can often tell from the ending -а.

In this short sentence, the gender does not visibly affect much because there is no adjective or past-tense verb agreeing with it. But gender is still important in Ukrainian.

For example, if you added an adjective, it would need feminine agreement:

• Велика колода на столі = The big deck/log is on the table

Here велика is feminine to match колода.