Questions & Answers about Я не люблю лук.
Why does the verb to like (любить) change to люблю here?
Because the subject is I (я). In Russian, verbs change their endings depending on who is doing the action. For любить (to like or love), the I form adds an extra л before the ending, making it люблю.
Why is the negative part just не? Doesn't Russian have a word for do or does?
Russian doesn't use helper verbs like do or does for negative sentences. To make a sentence negative, you simply put the word не (not) directly before the verb. So, I do not like is just Я не люблю.
Is лук in the accusative case here since it is the object of the sentence?
Yes, it is in the accusative case! However, because лук is a masculine, inanimate noun (meaning it is not a living person or animal), its accusative form looks exactly the same as its dictionary form. That is why the ending does not change.
In English, we usually say I do not like onions in the plural. Can лук be plural here?
No, when talking about the vegetable, лук is used as an uncountable mass noun in Russian, much like the words water or rice in English. You always use the singular form to talk about onions in general.