Learn Hardcore Hebrew: אני לא רוצה לראות טלוויזיה הערב; אני רוצה לקרוא ספר. - I do not want to watch TV this evening; I want to read a book.

Yes, Hebrew can sometimes leave it out, because the verb form often already shows the person. But in sentences like this, repeating אני sounds very natural and clear:

אני לא רוצה לראות טלוויזיה הערב; אני רוצה לקרוא ספר.

Repeating אני helps emphasize the contrast:

I don’t want to watch TV tonight;
I want to read a book.

You could also hear: אני לא רוצה לראות טלוויזיה הערב; רוצה לקרוא ספר in casual speech, but the full version with אני repeated is more standard and clearer for learners.

What does לא do, and where does it go in the sentence?

לא means not.

In Hebrew, לא usually comes before the verb or verbal phrase it negates:

אני לא רוצה = I do not want
הוא לא בא = He is not coming / He didn’t come (depending on context)

So in this sentence:

אני לא רוצה לראות... = I don’t want to watch...

This is different from English, which often uses do not. Hebrew does not need an extra helping verb like do here.

Why is the verb רוצה and not something else?