Вісім чашок на столі.

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

So:

Вісім чашок на столі.
literally looks like Eight cups on the table.

But it naturally means:

There are eight cups on the table or Eight cups are on the table.

This is completely normal Ukrainian.

Because after вісім (eight), Ukrainian normally uses the noun in the genitive plural.

The base word is чашка = cup.

Its forms are:

• чашка = singular
• чашки = one common plural form
• чашок = genitive plural

After numbers 5 and higher in basic counting, Ukrainian usually uses the genitive plural:

• п’ять чашок = five cups
• шість чашок = six cups
• вісім чашок = eight cups

So вісім чашок is the expected pattern.

Чашок is genitive plural of чашка.

This happens because the numeral вісім requires that form in this kind of counting expression.

So even though the whole phrase вісім чашок functions as the subject-like part of the sentence, the noun itself appears in the genitive plural.

Because after на when you mean location (on the table), Ukrainian uses the locative case.

The dictionary form is:

• стіл = table

The locative singular is:

• на столі = on the table

So:

• стіл = table
• на столі = on the table

This is a very important distinction:

• на столі = on the table → location, already there
• на стіл = onto the table → motion, moving to that place

So:

• Вісім чашок на столі. = Eight cups are on the table.
• Поклади чашки на стіл. = Put the cups onto the table.

In other words:

• static location → на + locative
• motion toward a surface → на + accusative

Yes. That is also perfectly natural.

Both are correct:

• Вісім чашок на столі.
• На столі вісім чашок.

The difference is mainly focus or information order.

• Вісім чашок на столі. puts a little more attention on eight cups
• На столі вісім чашок. starts with the location: On the table, there are eight cups

Ukrainian word order is more flexible than English, though it is not random.

Yes, you can.

• На столі є вісім чашок. = There are eight cups on the table.

This is grammatical and natural, but often Ukrainian simply leaves є out in present-tense existential sentences.

So all of these can work:

• Вісім чашок на столі.
• На столі вісім чашок.
• На столі є вісім чашок.

The versions without є are especially common in everyday speech.

The stress is:

Ві́сім ча́шок на столі́.

A rough English-style pronunciation guide:

• Ві́сім ≈ VEE-seem
• ча́шок ≈ CHA-shok
• на ≈ na
• столі́ ≈ sto-LEE

A fuller rough version:

VEE-seem CHA-shok na sto-LEE

This is only approximate, but it helps with the stress pattern.

Yes, in meaning it is plural: we are talking about eight cups.

But Ukrainian number phrases do not always behave exactly like English plural nouns. The numeral controls the noun form, and with 5+ that usually means genitive plural.

So it is plural in sense, but the grammar follows Ukrainian numeral rules rather than simple English-style plural rules.

This is one of the most useful patterns to learn.

With 1, Ukrainian uses the singular:

• одна чашка = one cup

With 2, 3, 4, Ukrainian usually uses a different form, often similar to the nominative plural:

• дві чашки = two cups
• три чашки = three cups
• чотири чашки = four cups

With 5 and higher, Ukrainian usually uses the genitive plural:

• п’ять чашок = five cups
• вісім чашок = eight cups

So the pattern is:

• 1 → чашка
• 2–4 → чашки
• 5+ → чашок

Word by word:

• вісім = eight
• чашок = of cups / cups in the counting form used after 8
• на = on
• столі = table in the locative case, so on the table

So the structure is basically:

eight cups on the table

which naturally means:

There are eight cups on the table.