Questions & Answers about Мы строим новый ресторан.
Why does the verb end in -им?
The dictionary form of this verb is строить (to build). Because it ends in -ить, it belongs to the second conjugation. To match мы (we), you drop the -ить and add the ending -им, making it строим.
Wait, I remember "we" verbs ending in -ем, like мы знаем. Why is this one different?
It depends on the verb's group! Verbs like знать (to know) are first conjugation verbs, which use -ем for "we". But verbs ending in -ить, like строить, are second conjugation verbs. They use -им instead.
The translation says "are building," but where is the word for "are"?
Russian doesn't have a separate "continuous" tense like English does. The single word строим translates to both "we build" (as a general fact) and "we are building" (happening right now).
"A new restaurant" is the direct object here. Why didn't новый ресторан change its endings for the accusative case?
You are right that direct objects take the accusative case! However, for masculine nouns that are inanimate (objects and places, not people or animals), the accusative form looks exactly the same as the dictionary form. So, новый ресторан doesn't change its spelling here.