Questions & Answers about Я не понимаю французский язык.
In English, we just say "I don't understand French." Why does Russian add язык?
Why didn't the endings on французский язык change? Isn't it the direct object?
It is the direct object, which means it is in the accusative case. However, язык is a masculine inanimate noun (a non-living thing). In Russian, masculine inanimate nouns and their matching adjectives do not change their endings in the accusative case. They look exactly the same as their basic dictionary forms.
If I drop the word Я, will the sentence still make sense?
Yes! The verb понимаю has the -ю ending, which is specifically used for я (I). Because the verb ending makes it clear who is doing the action, Russian speakers sometimes drop the pronoun entirely and just say Не понимаю французский язык.
Where exactly do I put не to make a sentence negative?
The negative word не (not) always goes directly in front of the verb it is negating. In this sentence, it must sit right before the verb понимаю.