Даже если пончик с глазурью выглядит красивее, по утрам я чаще беру простую булку.

Даже если literally means even if. It introduces a condition that does not change the main result.

In this sentence:

Даже если пончик с глазурью выглядит красивее, по утрам я чаще беру простую булку.

the idea is:

• Even if the glazed doughnut looks prettier,
• I still more often take a plain bun in the morning.

In natural English, depending on context, this can feel close to even though, but grammatically Russian is using если = if.

Russian normally uses a comma to separate a subordinate clause from the main clause.

Here the subordinate clause is:

Даже если пончик с глазурью выглядит красивее

and the main clause is:

по утрам я чаще беру простую булку

So the comma is required because the first part is a clause introduced by если.

Here с means with, and when с means with, it usually takes the instrumental case.

So:

• глазурь = glaze, icing
• с глазурью = with glaze / glazed

The instrumental singular of глазурь is глазурью.

This is very common:

• чай с сахаром = tea with sugar
• кофе с молоком = coffee with milk
• булка с маслом = bun with butter

Выглядит comes from выглядеть, which means to look, to appear, or to seem in appearance.

So:

• пончик выглядит красивее = the doughnut looks prettier

This verb is about outward appearance, not about actively looking at something.

Compare:

• смотреть = to look at, to watch
• выглядеть = to look, to appear

So:

• Я смотрю на пончик = I am looking at the doughnut
• Пончик выглядит красиво = The doughnut looks nice

Красивее is the comparative form of красивый = beautiful, pretty.

So:

• красивый = pretty
• красивее = prettier / more attractive

Russian often forms comparatives with endings like -ее or -ей.

Examples:

• быстрый → быстрее = faster
• интересный → интереснее = more interesting
• красивый → красивее = prettier

In this sentence, красивее does not need чем because the comparison is understood from context. It simply means the doughnut looks prettier than the plain bun, or prettier in general.

По утрам means in the mornings or morning after morning.

This is a common Russian pattern:

• по + dative plural can express something habitual or repeated over time

Here:

• утро = morning
• dative plural = утрам
• по утрам = in the mornings

Similar expressions:

• по вечерам = in the evenings
• по выходным = on weekends
• по понедельникам = on Mondays

So this is not just one morning. It suggests a repeated habit.

Чаще is the normal comparative form of часто = often.

So:

• часто = often
• чаще = more often

Russian usually prefers the simple comparative form when one exists.

Examples:

• быстро → быстрее = quickly → more quickly / faster
• редко → реже = rarely → more rarely / less often
• часто → чаще = often → more often

Более часто is grammatically possible in some contexts, but it sounds heavier and less natural here.

Беру is from брать, an imperfective verb meaning to take. In the present tense, it often describes a habitual action.

Here the speaker means something like:

• I usually / more often take
• I tend to choose

So беру works well because the sentence describes a repeated morning habit.

Why not the others?

• возьму is perfective future: I will take
• выбираю means I choose / am choosing, which would focus more directly on choosing rather than taking

So я чаще беру простую булку feels very natural for everyday repeated behavior.

Because беру is a transitive verb, the direct object goes into the accusative case.

The basic form is:

• простая булка = a plain bun

But after беру:

• я беру простую булку

Both words change because the adjective must agree with the noun in case, gender, and number.

Here:

• булка is feminine singular
• accusative feminine singular of булка = булку
• accusative feminine singular of простая = простую

So:

• nominative: простая булка
• accusative: простую булку

In this sentence:

• пончик = doughnut
• булка = bun, roll, or a simple bread pastry

So the contrast is between:

• something sweeter and more decorative: пончик с глазурью
• something simpler: простая булка

A learner should know that булка can be a broad word in Russian. Depending on context, it may mean a bread roll, bun, or a simple pastry, not necessarily the same as an English bun in every situation.

Yes, Russian word order is flexible, and this sentence is arranged in a natural, information-focused way.

Current order:

Даже если пончик с глазурью выглядит красивее, по утрам я чаще беру простую булку.

This structure emphasizes:

1. the contrast first: Even if the glazed doughnut looks prettier
2. then the real habit: in the mornings I more often take a plain bun

Other word orders are possible, for example:

• Я по утрам чаще беру простую булку, даже если пончик с глазурью выглядит красивее.
• По утрам я чаще беру простую булку, даже если пончик с глазурью выглядит красивее.

The meaning stays similar, but the emphasis shifts. Russian often moves elements around for topic, contrast, and rhythm.

No. Чаще means more often, not always.

So the sentence suggests:

• the speaker may sometimes take the glazed doughnut,
• but usually or more frequently takes the plain bun.

If the speaker wanted to say always, Russian would use something like:

• всегда = always

For example:

• По утрам я всегда беру простую булку. = In the mornings I always take a plain bun.

So чаще leaves room for exceptions.