Questions & Answers about Я вижу ресторан и официанта.
Why does ресторан stay the same, but официант changes to официанта if they are both masculine direct objects?
This is the rule for animate versus inanimate nouns! When a masculine noun is the direct object (in the accusative case), inanimate things like a restaurant (ресторан) keep their dictionary form. But living things like a waiter take an -а or -я ending. So официант becomes официанта.
Doesn't an -а ending mean a word is feminine?
Usually yes, if you are looking at the basic dictionary form. However, case endings change how words look. When a masculine animate noun is the direct object, it gets an -а ending. So официанта is still a masculine word, it just happens to have the accusative masculine animate ending here.
Where does the ж in вижу come from? The dictionary form is видеть.
The verb видеть (to see) has a stem change in the 'I' form. The д changes to a ж, and it takes a -у ending for я (I). The other forms keep the д, like ты видишь (you see).
Does the word и (and) change the grammar of the nouns?