Breakdown of La pasta y la sopa están en la mesa.
y
and
la mesa
the table
en
in / on / at
estar
to be (location/state)
Questions & Answers about La pasta y la sopa están en la mesa.
Why do we use están (plural) when both la pasta and la sopa are singular words?
Because the conjunction y (and) joins them to make a plural subject. Just like in English, connecting two singular items with y makes them a 'they', so we need the plural verb están.
Why do we use están here instead of son?
Does the word en mean 'in' or 'on'?
It means both! In Spanish, the preposition en is used for 'in', 'on', and 'at'. You just rely on context to know which one makes sense. Since food goes on top of a table, it translates to 'on' here.