это

This or It Is

Level 1Sounds Like éto

In Russian, the word это is the standard way to say 'This is', 'It is', or 'These are'. Unlike English, it doesn't change if you are talking about one thing or many things.

How It Works

The word это is essential for basic communication. Here are the key rules for its use as an identification marker:

  • Invariable Form: When used to mean 'This is...', это never changes. Even if the noun that follows is feminine, masculine, or plural, you always use это.
  • Case: The noun following это must always be in the Nominative case.
  • Zero Copula (Present): Russian does not use a word for 'is' or 'are' in the present tense. Therefore, это + Noun is the complete sentence structure.
  • Negation: To negate an identification, place the particle не directly before the noun, not before это. For example: Это не мой дом (This is not my house). This follows the rule for a negated nominal predicate.
  • Past and Future Tenses: Unlike the present, the past and future require a verb. Crucially, the verb must agree with the gender and number of the noun being identified (e.g., Это был дом, Это была школа).
  • Identification vs. Reference: Use это to introduce something new (e.g., 'This is my friend'). Once the person or object is known, switch to personal pronouns like он, она, or оно (e.g., 'He is a doctor').
  • Punctuation: In written Russian, if you are providing a formal definition where both the subject and predicate are nouns, a dash (—) is required before это, as in: Чтение — это хобби (Reading is a hobby).

Examples (5)

  1. Это мой папа.

    This is my dad.

    Word by Word: This my dad.

    Even though 'папа' is masculine, we use the neutral 'это' to identify him.

  2. Это книга.

    This is a book.

    Word by Word: This book.

    A simple identification of a feminine noun.

  3. Это новые учебники.

    These are new textbooks.

    Word by Word: This new textbooks.

    Notice that 'это' does not become plural even though 'учебники' is plural.

  4. Что это? Это Москва.

    What is this? This is Moscow.

    Word by Word: What this? This Moscow.

    Standard way to ask about and identify a location.

  5. Это я.

    It is me.

    Word by Word: This I.

    Used when identifying yourself, such as in a photo or at a door.

Common Mistakes

  • Making «это» agree with the noun.

    Different MeaningЭта мама.
    Это мама.

    «Эта мама» is a correct phrase meaning 'this mother', but it does not identify her. To say 'This is Mom', use the unchanging «Это»: «Это мама».

  • Using 'это' to describe the location of a known object.

    Где книга? Это на столе.
    Где книга? Она на столе.

    Once an object is identified, use personal pronouns (он/она/оно) to describe its state or location.

  • Using the neuter verb form 'было' for all genders when identifying things in the past.

    Это было машина.
    Это была машина.

    While 'это' stays the same, the past tense verb must agree with the noun that follows. Since 'машина' is feminine, you must use 'была'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

этоLevel 1This or It Is

Learn This First

To use 'это' as 'this is' or 'it is', you need to understand that Russian typically omits the verb 'to be' in the present tense. You also need to be familiar with basic nouns in their dictionary (nominative) form, as 'это' identifies these subjects.

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