Questions & Answers about Я готовлю капусту.
Why does the verb готовлю have an "л" in it? I thought the dictionary form was готовить.
This is a common pattern in Russian. For verbs ending in -вить (and a few other endings like -бить or -мить), an extra л is added when conjugating for я (I) in the present tense to make it easier to pronounce. This is why готовить becomes я готовлю. This extra л disappears for other pronouns, like ты готовишь (you cook).
Why does the word for cabbage end in "у" (капусту)? Isn't the dictionary word капуста?
Yes, the dictionary form is капуста. However, because the cabbage is the direct object of the sentence—it is the thing being cooked—it takes what is called the accusative case. For feminine nouns ending in -а, the -а always changes to -у when they are the direct object.
The translation says "I am cooking", but could this also mean "I cook cabbage" as a general habit?
Exactly! Russian doesn't have a separate continuous tense like English does. The present tense verb готовлю can mean "I cook" (as a general habit) or "I am cooking" (right now). You just rely on context to know which one is meant.
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