На обід ми готуємо не тільки рис, а й макарони.

It means for lunch or more literally for the midday meal.

In Ukrainian, на + accusative is often used to mean for in this kind of context:

• На сніданок = for breakfast
• На обід = for lunch
• На вечерю = for dinner

So На обід ми готуємо... means For lunch, we are preparing/cooking...

Because на here takes the accusative case, and обід is a masculine inanimate noun.

For masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular is the same as the nominative singular, so:

• nominative: обід
• accusative: обід

That is why you see на обід.

Yes. The ending -ємо already shows that the subject is we.

So ми is not strictly necessary:

• Готуємо не тільки рис, а й макарони. = We cook not only rice but also pasta.
• Ми готуємо... = same basic meaning, but ми adds a little emphasis or clarity.

Ukrainian often leaves subject pronouns out when they are obvious from the verb form.

Готуємо is the 1st person plural present tense form of готувати.

So:

• готувати = to cook, to prepare
• готуємо = we cook / we are cooking / we prepare / we are preparing

Because Ukrainian present tense can cover both simple present and present continuous, готуємо can mean either:

• we cook
• we are cooking

depending on context.

Готувати / готуємо is the imperfective verb, which is often used for:

• regular or repeated actions
• ongoing actions
• general statements

Приготувати / приготуємо is the perfective partner, which focuses on completion:

• приготуємо = we will prepare / we will have prepared

So in this sentence, готуємо sounds natural for a general present statement like For lunch we cook/prepare...

This is the Ukrainian pattern for not only ..., but also ...

So:

• не тільки рис, а й макарони = not only rice, but also pasta

A few useful points:

• не тільки = not only
• а й = but also

The не here does not make the whole sentence negative. It is just part of the fixed expression не тільки ..., а й ...

You may also see:

• не лише ..., а й ...
• не тільки ..., але й ...

These are very similar in meaning.

They are in the accusative case because they are the direct objects of готуємо.

We are preparing what?

• рис
• макарони

For inanimate nouns, the accusative often looks the same as the nominative:

• рис → accusative рис
• макарони → accusative макарони

So even though the case is accusative, the forms do not change here.

Because in Ukrainian, макарони is normally a plural noun meaning pasta / macaroni.

This is similar to how some foods are treated as plural in certain languages. So even if English often uses a singular-looking mass noun like pasta, Ukrainian commonly says:

• макарони

So рис is singular, but макарони is plural, and that is perfectly normal.

Because Ukrainian has no articles.

English says:

• the rice
• some rice
• the pasta
• a pasta dish

Ukrainian usually expresses those meanings through context, word order, or extra words if needed. So:

• рис can mean rice, the rice, or sometimes some rice, depending on the situation.

Yes. Ukrainian word order is fairly flexible, and changing it usually changes emphasis, not the core meaning.

For example:

• На обід ми готуємо не тільки рис, а й макарони.
• Ми готуємо на обід не тільки рис, а й макарони.

Both are natural. The original sentence puts На обід first, which highlights the meal context: As for lunch...

So the word order here is natural, but not the only possibility.

Usually, yes. In modern standard Ukrainian:

• сніданок = breakfast
• обід = lunch
• вечеря = dinner / supper

So На обід is best understood as for lunch.

In some contexts, especially historically or depending on family habits, обід can refer to the main meal of the day, but for learners, lunch is the safest and most useful translation.

Yes. І usually just means and, but а й is part of the special pattern не тільки ..., а й ...

Compare:

• рис і макарони = rice and pasta
• не тільки рис, а й макарони = not only rice, but also pasta

So а й adds the idea of also / in addition, not just simple joining.

Yes. Не лише ..., а й ... is very close in meaning to не тільки ..., а й ...

For example:

• На обід ми готуємо не лише рис, а й макарони.

This also means:

• For lunch, we cook not only rice, but also pasta.

Both are correct and common. Не тільки may feel slightly more conversational and very common in everyday speech.