Breakdown of На столе тарелки и чашки.
и
and
стол
table / desk
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
тарелка
plate
чашка
cup
Questions & Answers about На столе тарелки и чашки.
Why do тарелки and чашки end in -и instead of the usual -ы for plural nouns?
Both тарелка (plate) and чашка (cup) are feminine nouns ending in -а. Normally, their plural ending would be -ы. However, Russian has a strict spelling rule: after the letters к, г, х, ш, щ, ж, and ч, you must always write и instead of ы. Since both words have a к before the ending, they become тарелки and чашки.
There is no word for 'are' in this sentence. Why is that?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb 'to be' (am, is, are) is almost always skipped. So instead of saying 'On the table are plates and cups,' you literally just say 'On table plates and cups.'
Why is there an -е at the end of столе?
Стол (table) is in the Prepositional case here because it follows the preposition на (on) to show where something is located. For most masculine nouns ending in a consonant, you add an -е to make this form.
Could I say Тарелки и чашки на столе instead?
Yes, you can! Russian word order is flexible. However, putting на столе at the beginning is very common when describing what is in a specific location (similar to saying 'There are plates and cups on the table' in English). Putting Тарелки и чашки first would sound more like 'The plates and cups are on the table.'
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