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Questions & Answers about Я варю картофель.
Why is картофель singular in Russian but translates to "potatoes" (plural)?
In Russian, картофель is a collective noun. It refers to potatoes as a mass or general category, much like the words "rice" or "pasta" in English. Because of this, it is always grammatically singular. (You will also often hear the more everyday word картошка, which works the exact same way).
Картофель is the direct object here. Why doesn't its ending change for the accusative case?
Картофель is a masculine, inanimate noun. For inanimate masculine nouns, the accusative case (used for direct objects) is identical to the nominative (dictionary) case. You just have to memorize that this word is masculine, even though it ends in a soft sign (-ь).
What is the infinitive of варю, and is it a regular verb?
The infinitive is варить (to boil). It is a regular "Type 2" (or "-ить") verb. It takes the -ю ending for "I" (я варю) and uses standard -и- endings for the rest (such as ты варишь for "you boil" and они варят for "they boil").
Could I use готовить instead of варить in this sentence?
You could say Я готовлю картофель (I am cooking potatoes), but варить is much more specific. Варить specifically means to boil or cook in a liquid. If you use готовить, it just means you are preparing potatoes, but doesn't specify if you are boiling, frying, or baking them.