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

I do not like nail polish that is too bright, but for the celebration my sister chose exactly that kind.

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

• я: I
• сестра: the sister
• не: not
• на: for

Questions & Answers about Я не люблю слишком яркий лак, но на праздник сестра выбрала именно такой.

Why is лак translated as nail polish here? Doesn’t лак also mean varnish or lacquer?

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.

Why is it яркий лак, not яркого лака?

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.

Why do we say instead of using a verb like ?