это

Russian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈɛtə]
Audio (file)

Pronoun

э́то • (éto)

demonstrative pronoun: this, it, that

Мне э́то нра́вится! ― Mne éto nrávitsja! ― I like it! or I like that!
neuter form of этот: this; compare этот/эта/эти and тот/то/та/те

Э́то яйцо́ — све́жее, а вот э́то — ту́хлое. ― Éto jajcó — svéžeje, a vot éto — túxloje. ― This egg is fresh, and this one is rotten.

Particle

э́то • (éto)

Used as subject: it (is), this (is), that (is), these (are), those (are).

Э́то — учи́тель ― Éto — učítelʹ ― This is the teacher.

Э́то — брат и сестра́ ― Éto — brat i sestrá ― They are brother and sister.

Э́то не молоко́, а кефи́р ― Éto ne molokó, a kefír ― This is not milk, but kefir.

Usage notes

Used to connect subject and predicate as kind of topic or subject marker. (However, as opposed to actual topic markers such as は (は) in Japanese, ‘это’ may be omitted without changing the meaning or breaking the sentence structure.) It does not get translated into English.

Со́евое молоко́ — (э́то) напи́ток, полу́ченный из зёрен со́и — Soy milk is a beverage produced from soybeans.

Note that all of the above examples are ellipses in which the actual verb (есть (jestʹ) — is, суть (sutʹ) — are) has been omitted, which is typical for Russian. Oftentimes, the omitted verb is replaced by an em dash.

Interjection

э́то • (éto)

uh, er, erm, umm; used in hesitant speech

Я, э́то, не купи́л ничего́ ― Ja, éto, ne kupíl ničevó ― I, er, I haven't bought anything.

Idioms

вот э́то (vot éto) (pronoun/particle) — this here, this over here/there.
вот э́то да́ (vot éto dá) (interjection) — wow.
при э́том (pri étom) (adverb) — in the process, in doing so; on top of that, withal, for good measure.
по́сле это́го (pósle etóvo) (adverb) — afterwards, thereafter.
в э́то вре́мя (v éto vrémja) (adverb) — at the time, at that time; meanwhile, in the mean time.

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.