Learn Polish: Czy pan nie czyta czasopisma? - Are you not reading the magazine, sir?

Normally, the direct object of the verb czytać (to read) takes the Accusative case. For neuter nouns like czasopismo, the Accusative looks exactly like the dictionary form. However, because this sentence is negative (nie czyta), the object must change to the Genitive case. To form the Genitive for a neuter noun, we drop the -o and add -a, resulting in czasopisma.

Why does the sentence use czyta (he/she reads) when the translation says 'Are you not reading'?

When speaking politely or formally to a man in Polish, you use the formal pronoun pan (sir/gentleman) combined with the third-person singular form of the verb. It literally translates to 'Is the gentleman not reading?', but it is the standard way to say 'Are you not reading, sir?'.

Does the starting word czy translate to 'Are' in English?

No, czy doesn't translate to a specific verb like 'are' or 'do'. It is a question particle that Polish uses at the beginning of a sentence to turn a regular statement into a yes/no question.

How can I tell that czasopismo is a neuter noun?

You can usually identify a noun's gender by its ending in the dictionary form. The vast majority of Polish nouns that end in -o (like czasopismo or okno) are neuter.