Для борща я купила свёклу, а сверху люблю добавлять укроп и петрушку.

Because для always takes the genitive case in Russian.

• борщ = nominative
• для борща = for borscht in the genitive

So Для борща literally means for borscht.

Свёклу is the accusative singular form of свёкла.

Here, свёклу is the direct object of купила:

• я купила что? → свёклу

For many feminine nouns ending in -а, the accusative singular changes to -у:

• свёкла → свёклу
• петрушка → петрушку

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

• купил = a man bought
• купила = a woman bought
• купило = it bought
• купили = they bought

So я купила tells you that the speaker is female.

After любить, Russian normally uses the imperfective infinitive to talk about something you generally like doing.

• люблю добавлять = I like adding
• люблю читать = I like reading
• люблю готовить = I like cooking

Using добавить here would sound unnatural in this meaning, because добавить is perfective and points to a single completed act, while люблю describes a habit or preference.

Because the sentence mixes two different kinds of actions:

• купила describes one completed action: the speaker bought the beet
• люблю добавлять describes a general habit/preference: the speaker likes to add dill and parsley on top

So the aspect choice is very natural:

• perfective for the finished purchase
• imperfective for repeated or habitual adding

Сверху literally means from above / on top.

In this sentence, it means something like:

• on top
• as a topping
• over it

So it refers to adding dill and parsley as a garnish or finishing touch, not mixing them in as the main ingredient.

They are both direct objects, but they belong to different noun types.

• укроп is masculine, inanimate, and its accusative singular looks the same as the nominative: укроп
• петрушка is feminine, so its accusative singular changes: петрушку

So:

• добавлять что? → укроп и петрушку

In Russian, ingredients and herbs are often named in the singular when talking about them as substances or food items in general.

So:

• добавлять укроп = add dill
• добавлять петрушку = add parsley

This is similar to English mass-noun usage like add parsley rather than add parsleys.

А often links two related ideas while also marking a slight contrast, shift, or new angle.

Here the first clause is about buying ingredients:

• Для борща я купила свёклу

The second clause shifts to what the speaker likes to add on top:

• а сверху люблю добавлять укроп и петрушку

So а works well because it is not just simple and. It feels more like:

• and as for the top...
• while on top...
• and then I like to add...

Yes, Russian often drops subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.

So Купила свёклу can also mean I bought beet, if the context is clear.

But я is still often used for clarity, rhythm, or emphasis. In this sentence, я купила sounds perfectly natural and neutral. The second clause does omit я, because люблю already clearly means I love / I like.

Yes. Russian word order is fairly flexible, and changing it changes the focus more than the basic meaning.

For example:

• Для борща я купила свёклу emphasizes for borscht
• Я купила свёклу для борща is also natural and a bit more straightforward
• Свёклу я купила для борща emphasizes beet

The original version starts with Для борща because that sets the context first: we are talking about what was bought for borscht.

The object is understood from context: on top of the borscht.

Russian often leaves out words that are obvious from the situation. Since the sentence already mentions борща, it is easy to understand that сверху means on top of the borscht.

If you wanted to make it fully explicit, you could say something like:

• а сверху в борщ люблю добавлять...
• а сверху на борщ люблю добавлять...

But the original sounds natural because the meaning is already clear.

The letter ё is important here because it shows both the correct vowel and the stress:

• свёкла
• свёклу

In everyday Russian writing, people often replace ё with е, so you may also see свеклу. But it is still pronounced with ё.

For learners, it is helpful to remember the pronunciation with ё, because Russian spelling often leaves it unwritten.