Я не люблю слишком яркий лак, но на праздник сестра выбрала именно такой.

Yes. Лак is a broad word and can mean varnish, lacquer, or nail polish, depending on context.

In this sentence, яркий лак most naturally means bright nail polish, because:

• яркий (bright, vivid) is very commonly used for nail colors
• the sentence talks about choosing a specific kind for a celebration, which fits cosmetics well

So the exact English translation depends on context, but here nail polish is the most natural choice.

Because лак is the direct object of люблю (I love / like), so it goes in the accusative case.

However, лак is:

• masculine
• singular
• inanimate

For inanimate masculine singular nouns, the accusative looks the same as the nominative.

So:

• nominative: яркий лак
• accusative: яркий лак

That is why the form does not change here.

Любить and нравиться are used differently in Russian.

• Я не люблю слишком яркий лак = I don’t like / I’m not fond of very bright nail polish
• Мне не нравится слишком яркий лак = I don’t like very bright nail polish / Very bright nail polish doesn’t appeal to me

Both are possible, but they are built differently:

• любить takes a direct object: я люблю что? лак
• нравиться works more like to be pleasing to: мне нравится лак

Here не люблю sounds natural for expressing a personal preference or dislike.

Слишком means too or overly.

So:

• слишком яркий = too bright

It usually goes before the adjective or adverb it modifies:

• слишком дорогой = too expensive
• слишком быстро = too fast

In this sentence, it shows that the speaker thinks the brightness is excessive.

Because the subject is сестра (sister), which is feminine.

In the past tense, Russian verbs agree with the subject in gender and number:

• он выбрал = he chose
• она выбрала = she chose
• они выбрали = they chose

So:

• сестра выбрала = the sister chose

That is why the verb ends in -а.

No. Here на праздник means for the celebration, for the holiday, or for the special occasion.

The preposition на often has meanings beyond physical movement. With events, it can mean:

• for
• to
• on the occasion of

Examples:

• на свадьбу = for the wedding / to the wedding
• на концерт = to the concert
• на праздник = for the celebration

So in this sentence, на праздник tells us the occasion for which the polish was chosen.

Yes. Russian word order is flexible.

This sentence could also be arranged as:

• Но сестра на праздник выбрала именно такой.
• Но именно такой сестра выбрала на праздник.

All of these are grammatical, but the emphasis changes.

Но на праздник сестра выбрала именно такой puts early attention on the occasion:

• for the celebration, that was what she chose

Russian often uses word order to highlight what is most important or contrastive in the sentence.

Именно adds emphasis. It means something like:

• exactly
• precisely
• the very
• just

So:

• такой = such a one / that kind
• именно такой = exactly that kind / that very kind

In this sentence, it strengthens the contrast:

• I don’t like very bright nail polish, but for the celebration my sister chose exactly that kind.

Without именно, the sentence would still make sense, but the contrast would be less pointed.

Because Russian often avoids repeating a noun when it is already clear from context.

So:

• сестра выбрала именно такой literally means my sister chose exactly such a one
• in natural English: my sister chose exactly that kind

The omitted noun is understood:

• именно такой лак

This is very common in Russian:

• Мне нравится красное платье, а она купила синее. = I like the red dress, but she bought the blue one.

Yes, normally it is.

Но means but, and it connects two clauses:

• Я не люблю слишком яркий лак
• но на праздник сестра выбрала именно такой

In Russian, a comma is usually placed before но when it joins two independent clauses.

So the comma here is standard punctuation.

In many contexts, yes. Russian often leaves out possessives when the meaning is obvious.

Here, the sentence begins with Я (I), and then says сестра выбрала. In context, this is naturally understood as my sister chose.

Russian frequently prefers the shorter form when possession is clear:

• Мама пришла = Mom came
• Брат позвонил = My brother called

If the speaker wanted to emphasize it, they could say моя сестра, but it is not necessary here.