"Oni jedzą obiad przy stole."

Translation: They eat lunch at the table.

[israellai]

The audio sounds like jędzą.

[Gerardd88]

You're right. The audio is wrong. Report it.

[MeganKunze1]

So in general, would 'przy' imply less distance than 'obok' or 'koło'?

[Jellei]

Yes. "obok" and "koło" are already quite close, but "przy" is, like, literally next to. And with the table, it should mean they are politely sitting on the chairs at the table.

[RoboticRocketeer]

So in the context of a table, eating merely near it is enough to qualify as English "at."

[A477]

but this could also mean that they eat their meal next to the table? i.e. on the ground

[Jellei]

Technically, I guess so. Although I'd use 'koło' or 'obok' in order not to be ambiguous.

[Will127979]

How is przy different than w in this case?

[Jellei]

"w" would mean that they are literally in the table.

[Mag_Dale]

They are eating lunch next to the table.
Wouldn't that be correct too?

[Jellei]

"przy" generally can mean "next to", but in such a sentence, I really can't imagine anyone saying "przy stole" and meaning anything else than "at the table". It's like a fixed phrase.

[TveshaSinha]

Could I say 'Oni jedzą obiad u stole'?

[Jellei]

No. If anything, than "u stołu" (Genitive), but that seems rather dated to me.

[NieNieNieNie]

Would it be OK to use "na"?

[alik1989]

"They eat lunch on the table."

[NieNieNieNie]

Which makes more sense, no?

[alik1989]

In English that would definitely mean that you are eating while sitting or standing on the table.

In Polish, I can imagine that this could be uttered in very careless speech, meaning: They eat the lunch (which is) on the table. But it also sounds a lot like "eating while being on top of a table".