A0 Pronouns 5 min read Easy

Russian 'This is': The Magic Word 'Это' (Eto)

Use the fixed form Это to point out and identify any person or object in Russian.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Use 'Eto' as a neutral pointer for objects or situations, but remember it changes based on gender when describing nouns.

  • Use 'Eto' (это) for general identification: 'Eto stol' (This is a table).
  • Match gender for specific nouns: 'Etot' (masculine), 'Eta' (feminine), 'Eto' (neuter).
  • Use 'Eti' (эти) for all plural objects: 'Eti knigi' (These books).
Eto + [Noun] = Pointing at something

Overview

Ever felt like a toddler pointing at things because your vocabulary is still loading?
Don't worry, we've all been there.
In Russian, the word Это is your ultimate survival tool.
It is the 'Swiss Army Knife' of beginner Russian.
It handles everything from identifying your lunch to introducing your best friend.
If you can point at it, you can use Это to describe it.
It is simple, powerful, and incredibly satisfying to use.
Imagine you are walking through a Moscow park.
You see a cool dog, a beautiful building, or a weird statue.
You want to say "This is a dog" or "That is a building."
In English, we worry about "this" versus "that."
We also worry about the verb "to be" (is, are, am).
In Russian, we throw all that stress away.
The word Это covers "this is," "that is," "it is," and even "these are."
It is a static, unchanging block of meaning.
It sits at the start of your sentence like a polite signpost.
You don't need to conjugate anything yet.
You don't need to check the gender of the noun yet.
You just point, say Это, and name the object.
It is like a verbal laser pointer for your life.

How This Grammar Works

Russian is famous for being a bit of a "grammar boss fight."
But Это is the cheat code for the first level.
In the present tense, Russian usually deletes the verb "to be."
Where we say "This IS a phone," Russians say "This phone."
Wait, doesn't that sound like Tarzan speech?
Maybe a little, but it is 100% grammatically perfect Russian.
When you use Это as a demonstrative pronoun, it stays Это forever.
It doesn't care if the noun is masculine, feminine, or plural.
It doesn't care if you are talking about a pizza or a group of friends.
It is the rock-solid foundation of your first Russian sentences.
You are basically saying: "This thing here = [Noun]."
It works for people, objects, places, and even abstract ideas.

Formation Pattern

1
Creating a sentence with Это is as easy as a two-step TikTok dance.
2
Start with the word Это (pronounced like "EH-tuh").
3
Add the noun you want to identify in its basic (nominative) form.
4
That is literally it.
5
Это + кофе (This is coffee)
6
Это + метро (This is the metro)
7
Это + Анна (This is Anna)
8
Это + друзья (These are friends)
9
If you want to turn it into a question, don't change a single word.
10
Just lift the pitch of your voice at the end.
11
Это пицца? (Is this pizza?)
12
Это мой Uber? (Is this my Uber?)

Conjugation Table

Form Example Translation
--- --- ---
Singular Masculine Это мой папа This is my dad
Singular Feminine Это моя мама This is my mom
Singular Neuter Это моё окно This is my window
Plural Это мои книги These are my books
Question Это такси? Is this a taxi?
Negative Это не борщ This is not borscht

When To Use It

Use Это whenever you are identifying something for the first time.
Think of it as the "Introduction Phase" of a conversation.
You are at a party: Это Иван. (This is Ivan.)
You are showing off your new iPhone: Это мой телефон. (This is my phone.)
You are looking at a menu: Это суп. (This is soup.)
You are texting a photo of your cat: Это мой кот. (This is my cat.)
It is also perfect for clarifying things in modern life.
When the delivery guy calls, you can say: Это квартира пять. (This is apartment five.)
When you see a weird charge on your bank app: Что это? (What is this?)
It is the most common way to ask "What is this?" or "Who is this?"
  • Что это? (What is this?)
  • Кто это? (Who is it / Who is this?)

Common Mistakes

The biggest trap is trying to translate the word "is" or "are."
You might see the word есть in a dictionary for "to be."
Do not use it here! Saying Это есть пицца sounds like a robot from the 1970s.
Another mistake is trying to change Это to match the gender of the noun.
You might find words like Этот or Эта in your textbook.
Stop! Those are demonstrative adjectives (like "This specific book").
When you are just saying "This IS a book," you must stay with the neutral Это.
Don't overthink it—if you are pointing and identifying, Это is your best friend.
Also, watch your pronunciation.
It is not "E-TOE." The 'o' at the end is unstressed, so it sounds like a soft 'ah' or 'uh'.
Think of the name "Etta" but with a slightly harder 't'.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

You will eventually meet the "Demonstrative Adjectives" family.
These are the cousins of Это that actually change based on gender.
  • Этот телефон (This phone - masculine)
  • Эта машина (This car - feminine)
  • Это окно (This window - neuter)
  • Эти люди (These people - plural)
Notice the difference: Это машина means "This IS a car."
Эта машина means "This car... [is fast/is red/is mine]."
One is a full sentence; the other is just a fragment.
If you want to be safe at the A0 level, stick to the "This is" version.
It gets you much further in daily conversations with much less effort.

Quick FAQ

Q

Does Это mean "that is" too?

Yes! Russian doesn't strictly distinguish between "this" and "that" in basic speech.

Q

Can I use it for people?

Absolutely. Это мой босс (This is my boss) is totally natural.

Q

How do I say "This is not..."?

Just add не before the noun: Это не мой чай (This is not my tea).

Q

Is it polite?

It is neutral. You can use it with your grandma or your CEO.

Q

What if I'm pointing at multiple things?

Still use Это. Это мои друзья (These are my friends).

Demonstrative Pronoun Agreement

Gender Pronoun Example
Masculine
Этот
Этот стол
Feminine
Эта
Эта книга
Neuter
Это
Это окно
Plural
Эти
Эти люди

Meanings

Demonstrative pronouns are used to identify or point to specific objects, people, or ideas in relation to the speaker.

1

General Identifier

Used to introduce an object or person regardless of gender.

“Это стол.”

“Это мама.”

2

Specific Adjective

Used to modify a noun, requiring gender agreement.

“Этот человек.”

“Эта книга.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Russian 'This is': The Magic Word 'Это' (Eto)
Context Russian Phrase English Translation Grammar Note
Identifying an object
Это кофе.
This is coffee.
Fixed `Это` + Noun
Identifying a person
Это мой друг.
This is my friend.
Works for people too
Asking a question
Это пицца?
Is this pizza?
Rising intonation only
Plural objects
Это книги.
These are books.
No change for plural
Negative statement
Это не такси.
This is not a taxi.
Add `не` before noun
Basic question
Что это?
What is this?
Universal question

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Это мой дом.

Это мой дом. (Introducing a home.)

Neutral
Это мой дом.

Это мой дом. (Introducing a home.)

Informal
Это мой дом.

Это мой дом. (Introducing a home.)

Slang
Это мой хаус.

Это мой хаус. (Introducing a home.)

The Versatility of Eto

Это

People

  • Это мама This is mom
  • Это друзья These are friends

Objects

  • Это телефон This is a phone
  • Это пицца This is pizza

Pronoun vs. Adjective

Pronoun (This IS...)
Это книга This is a book
Это машина This is a car
Adjective (This [Noun]...)
Эта книга This book
Эта машина This car

How to identify something in Russian

1

Are you identifying a thing/person?

YES
Use 'Это'
NO
Use other pronouns
2

Is it plural?

YES
Still use 'Это'
NO ↓

Eto in Modern Scenarios

📱

Texting

  • • Это я!
  • • Это ок.
  • • Что это?
✈️

Travel

  • • Это отель?
  • • Это метро.
  • • Это мой Uber.
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Examples by Level

1

Это стол.

This is a table.

2

Это мама.

This is mom.

3

Это мой дом.

This is my house.

4

Что это?

What is this?

1

Этот человек мой друг.

This person is my friend.

2

Эта книга интересная.

This book is interesting.

3

Эти цветы красивые.

These flowers are beautiful.

4

Это не моя машина.

This is not my car.

1

Я купил этот телефон вчера.

I bought this phone yesterday.

2

Эта идея мне нравится.

I like this idea.

3

Эти правила очень сложные.

These rules are very complex.

4

Это было лучшее лето.

This was the best summer.

1

Этого человека я не знаю.

I don't know this person.

2

С этой женщиной я работал.

I worked with this woman.

3

Я думаю об этом проекте.

I am thinking about this project.

4

Этим детям нужна помощь.

These children need help.

1

Именно этот вариант кажется верным.

This exact option seems correct.

2

В этих условиях работать трудно.

It is hard to work in these conditions.

3

Это, безусловно, лучший выбор.

This is, undoubtedly, the best choice.

4

Этому решению нет альтернатив.

There are no alternatives to this decision.

1

Сей факт не требует доказательств.

This fact requires no proof.

2

Этим самым он подтвердил свои слова.

By this very act, he confirmed his words.

3

Вся эта суета ни к чему.

All this fuss is for nothing.

4

Этого-то я и боялся.

This is exactly what I was afraid of.

Easily Confused

Russian 'This is': The Magic Word 'Это' (Eto) vs Eto vs Tot

Learners mix up 'this' and 'that'.

Russian 'This is': The Magic Word 'Это' (Eto) vs Eto vs On/Ona/Ono

Learners use Eto for people too often.

Russian 'This is': The Magic Word 'Это' (Eto) vs Eti vs Eto

Using Eto for plural objects.

Common Mistakes

✗

Этот книга

✓

Эта книга

Book is feminine, so use Eta.
✗

Eto stol

✓

Это стол

Use Cyrillic script.
✗

Эта стол

✓

Этот стол

Table is masculine.
✗

Eto knigi

✓

Эти книги

Plural requires Eti.
✗

Это мой друзья

✓

Эти мои друзья

Plural noun needs plural pronoun.
✗

Этот машина

✓

Эта машина

Car is feminine.
✗

Это окно большой

✓

Это окно большое

Adjective must match neuter.
✗

Я вижу этот книга

✓

Я вижу эту книгу

Accusative case needed.
✗

С этот другом

✓

С этим другом

Instrumental case needed.
✗

О этот фильме

✓

Об этом фильме

Prepositional case needed.
✗

Этого люди

✓

Эти люди

Nominative case needed.
✗

Эту вещь я не знаю

✓

Эту вещь я не видел

Verb-case mismatch.
✗

Этому факту нет

✓

Этому факту нет альтернатив

Incomplete thought.

Sentence Patterns

Это ___.

___ — мой друг.

Я купил ___ ___.

___ ___ мне не нравится.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Это круто!

Ordering food very common

Это, пожалуйста.

Job interview common

Этот проект был сложным.

Social media constant

Это мой день.

Travel common

Что это за здание?

Delivery app common

Это мой заказ.

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💡

The Finger Rule

If you can physically point your finger at it while saying it, you should probably use 'Это'.
⚠️

Don't 'Is' it!

Never use the word 'есть' (is) when identifying things with 'Это'. It sounds extremely unnatural to native speakers.
💬

Intro Protocol

When introducing people, 'Это' is the standard polite way, even in formal business settings.

Smart Tips

Check the last letter first.

Этот книга → Эта книга

Always use 'Eti'.

Это книги → Эти книги

Use 'Eto' as a safe default.

Этот... (forgetting gender) → Это...

Ensure case agreement.

С этот другом → С этим другом

Pronunciation

eh-tuh

Eto

The 'o' at the end is unstressed and sounds like 'a'.

Question

Что ЭТО? ↑

Rising intonation for questions.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Eto is the 'E'asy way to point at everything!

Visual Association

Imagine a giant letter 'E' pointing at objects. If the object is a man, the E grows a hat (Etot). If it's a woman, it grows a skirt (Eta).

Rhyme

Eto, Eto, point at the door, Eto, Eto, point at the floor.

Story

Ivan walks into a room. He points at a chair: 'Eto stul'. He points at a lamp: 'Eta lampa'. He points at his friends: 'Eti druzya'. He is now the master of pointing.

Word Web

ЭтоЭтотЭтаЭтиТотТаТе

Challenge

Point at 5 things in your room right now and name them using 'Eto' + [Noun].

Cultural Notes

Pointing with one finger is considered rude in some contexts; use an open palm.

Derived from Old Church Slavonic demonstratives.

Conversation Starters

“

Что это?

“

Это твоя книга?

“

Этот город красивый?

“

Что ты думаешь об этом?

Journal Prompts

Describe three things on your desk using 'Eto'.
Write about your favorite book using 'Eta'.
Compare two cities you have visited.
Discuss a current event using 'Этот'.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank to say 'This is a cat.'

___ кот.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Это
When identifying something ('This is...'), we always use the fixed form 'Это'.
Which sentence correctly asks 'Is this a taxi?' Multiple Choice

Choose the correct question:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Это такси?
Russian doesn't use the verb 'is' in this context, and 'Это' is the correct pronoun for identification.
Find and fix the mistake in the sentence: 'Эта мой друг.' Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Эта мой друг.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Это мой друг.
Even if 'друг' (friend) is masculine, the phrase 'This is...' always uses the neutral form 'Это'.

Score: /3

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

___ стол (masc).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Этот
Stol is masculine.
Select the correct pronoun. Multiple Choice

___ книга (fem).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Эта
Kniga is feminine.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Этот машина.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Эта машина
Machine is feminine.
Make plural. Sentence Transformation

Этот стол -> ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Эти столы
Eti is for plural.
Match pronoun to gender. Match Pairs

Match: Masc, Fem, Neut, Plural

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Этот, Эта, Это, Эти
Correct order.
Select the correct pronoun. Multiple Choice

___ окно (neut).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Это
Okno is neuter.
Fill in the blank.

___ люди (plural).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Эти
Lyudi is plural.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Это друзья.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Эти друзья
Plural noun needs plural pronoun.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Translate 'This is not coffee.' to Russian. Translation

This is not coffee.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Это не кофе.
Reorder the words to say 'Is this your car?' Sentence Reorder

твоя / Это / машина / ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Это твоя машина?
Match the Russian to the English. Match Pairs

Match the pairs

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: matched
Fill in the blank: '___ мои книги.' (These are my books.) Fill in the Blank

___ мои книги.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Это
How do you say 'This is a menu'? Multiple Choice

Choose the correct option:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Это меню.
Fix the sentence: 'Что этот?' Error Correction

Что этот?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Что это?
Reorder: 'is / This / my / house' Sentence Reorder

мой / Это / дом

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Это мой дом
Translate 'Who is this?' to Russian. Translation

Who is this?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Кто это?
Complete the negative sentence: 'Это ___ пицца.' (This is not pizza.) Fill in the Blank

Это ___ пицца.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: не
Which one means 'This is an apple'? Multiple Choice

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Это яблоко.

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

It changes to match the gender of the noun it describes.

Only for general identification. For specific nouns, use gendered forms.

It is neutral and used in all registers.

Guess based on the ending (o/e = neuter, a/ya = feminine, consonant = masculine).

Use 'Tot/Ta/To'.

Yes, it is very common in all writing.

The plural is 'Eti'.

Yes, in advanced Russian, it changes based on case.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

Este/Esta/Esto

Russian demonstratives decline for case.

French moderate

Ce/Cette/Ces

French does not have cases.

German high

Dieser/Diese/Dieses

German has four cases, Russian has six.

Japanese low

Kore/Kono

Japanese has no gender.

Arabic moderate

Hada/Hadi

Arabic has a dual form.

Chinese low

Zhe

Chinese has no gender or case.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Russian Plurals: More Than One (-ы, -и)

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