Russian demonstratives trip learners up in two separate ways, and this page handles both. First, there is a distance choice — э́тот (near) vs тот (far) — that maps loosely onto English this vs that but carries extra jobs тот does that that doesn't. Second, and more confusing, there is a structural choice between the frozen pointing word э́то ("this/that is…") and the agreeing demonstrative э́тот / э́та / э́то that attaches to a noun. The two э́то-forms look almost identical, which is exactly why they get mixed up. A simple replacement test settles each decision. For the full declension tables, see э́тот vs тот and presentational э́то.
Decision 1: э́тот vs тот (this vs that)
The test
| Ask yourself… | Use |
|---|---|
| Near in space, time, or topic ("this one here / just mentioned")? | э́тот |
| Far, or "the other one," or contrasted with э́тот? | тот |
| "the aforementioned / that very," or "that day/year" set off from now? | тот |
э́тот = near: physically close, recently mentioned, or the one in front of you. It agrees with its noun: э́тот (m.), э́та (f.), э́то (n.), э́ти (pl.).
Возьми́ э́ту ча́шку, она́ чи́ще.
Take this cup, it's cleaner. — э́ту: a near, specific cup (feminine accusative).
тот does more than English that. Besides "far away," it means "the other one" and "the one already mentioned." A very common job is the не э́тот, а тот contrast ("not this one, the other one"):
Не э́тот авто́бус, а тот — на той стороне́.
Not this bus, the other one — on the other side. — тот = the other / farther one, in explicit contrast with э́тот.
тот also marks a time set off from the present — в тот день ("that day," back then), в то вре́мя ("at that time"):
В тот день шёл си́льный дождь, я хорошо́ по́мню.
That day it was pouring, I remember it well. — в тот день: a day distant from now → тот.
Decision 2: frozen э́то vs agreeing э́тот/э́та/э́то
This is the trickier split, because the neuter agreeing form (э́то) is spelled the same as the frozen pointer (э́то). They do different jobs.
- Frozen э́то = the pointing word "this/that is…, these/those are…". It introduces or identifies something. It is invariable — it never changes for gender or number, even before a plural or a masculine noun.
- Agreeing э́тот / э́та / э́то / э́ти = a demonstrative adjective that modifies a following noun and agrees with it in gender, number, and case.
The test
| Ask yourself… | Use |
|---|---|
| Can you read it as "this is / these are …" and it is NOT modifying a following noun? | frozen э́то (invariable) |
| Does it sit right before a noun and modify it ("this book", "these songs")? | agreeing э́тот/э́та/э́то/э́ти |
Compare the minimal pair. In the first, э́то identifies ("this is a book"); in the second, э́та modifies кни́га ("this book"):
Э́то кни́га. — Э́та кни́га интере́сная.
This is a book. — This book is interesting. — frozen э́то (identifying) vs agreeing э́та (modifying кни́га, feminine).
The frozen э́то stays э́то even when what follows is masculine or plural — because it is not agreeing with anything:
Э́то мои́ кни́ги.
These are my books. — frozen э́то is invariable; it does NOT become э́ти before the plural кни́ги.
Э́то твой телефо́н?
Is this your phone? — frozen э́то before a masculine noun stays э́то, not э́тот.
A clinching pair: моя́ кни́га
Watch how the same words rearrange. With frozen э́то it identifies; with agreeing э́та it modifies and the predicate moves:
Э́то моя́ кни́га. — Э́та кни́га моя́.
This is my book. — This book is mine. — first: frozen э́то 'this is…'; second: agreeing э́та modifies кни́га, моя́ is the predicate.
Putting both decisions together
You can stack them: the frozen pointer can introduce a phrase that itself contains an agreeing demonstrative, or a тот.
Э́то тот челове́к, о кото́ром я говори́л.
This is the man I was talking about. — frozen э́то ('this is…') + тот ('the aforementioned') leading into a relative clause.
Common Mistakes
❌ Э́ти мои́ кни́ги (meaning 'these are my books').
Wrong — 'these are…' is the frozen invariable pointer э́то, not the agreeing plural э́ти. (Э́ти кни́ги would start 'these books…', expecting more.)
✅ Э́то мои́ кни́ги.
These are my books.
❌ Э́тот мой телефо́н (meaning 'this is my phone').
Wrong — to identify ('this is…') use frozen э́то. Э́тот мой телефо́н would mean 'this phone of mine…' as a noun phrase.
✅ Э́то мой телефо́н.
This is my phone.
❌ Э́то кни́га интере́сная (meaning 'this book is interesting').
Wrong — to modify the noun кни́га you need the agreeing э́та; frozen э́то only identifies ('this is a book').
✅ Э́та кни́га интере́сная.
This book is interesting.
❌ Возьми́ э́тот авто́бус, а не э́тот (meaning 'take that bus, not this one').
Wrong contrast — 'the other / farther one' is тот, not a second э́тот.
✅ Возьми́ тот авто́бус, а не э́тот.
Take that bus, not this one.
Key Takeaways
- э́тот = near (this, just-mentioned); тот = far, "the other one," "the aforementioned," "that day/time." Both agree with their noun.
- The не э́тот, а тот contrast and в тот день / в то вре́мя are signature jobs of тот.
- Frozen э́то ("this/that is…, these/those are…") is invariable — it never changes before masculines or plurals: Э́то мои́ кни́ги.
- Agreeing э́тот / э́та / э́то / э́ти modifies a following noun and matches it: Э́та кни́га, Э́тот дом, Э́ти пе́сни.
- Test: "this is / these are" with no noun being described → frozen э́то; sits on a noun and describes it → agreeing form.
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- Demonstratives: Этот and ТотA1 — э́тот ('this', near) and тот ('that', far/other) decline like adjectives (э́тот/э́та/э́то/э́ти, тот/та/то/те; э́того, э́той, тем, те́ми). The big trap: the agreeing neuter э́то ('this window' = э́то окно́) versus the invariable presentational э́то ('this is…': Э́то моя́ сестра́, Э́то кни́ги), which never changes before any noun. Full tables, fixed uses of тот (тот же, тот, кто, не тот), and the Э́то моя́ кни́га / Э́та кни́га моя́ contrast.
- Это as a Universal PointerA1 — The presentational э́то ('this is / these are / that is / it is') is invariable — it never changes for gender, number or case: Э́то стол, Э́то ма́ма, Э́то кни́ги, Э́то мои́ друзья́. It answers Что э́то? / Кто э́то? and forms equational 'it is' sentences (Э́то интере́сно, Э́то пра́вда). Keep it apart from the agreeing demonstrative э́тот/э́та/э́то/э́ти ('this' + noun): the frozen Э́то моя́ кни́га ('This is my book') versus the agreeing э́та кни́га ('this book').
- Тот in Correlative Constructions (тот…кото́рый, тот же)B2 — Beyond its basic meaning 'that (one over there)', тот is the workhorse of Russian correlative syntax: тот…, кото́рый ('the one that/who') sets up relative clauses, тот, кто / то, что are free relatives ('the one who' / 'what'), тот (же) са́мый means 'the same', and не тот means 'the wrong one' — not 'not that one'. This page shows how тот points forward into a clause rather than out into the room, and why не тот is one of the most useful idioms in the language.
- Что vs Который vs ЧтобыB1 — English 'that' hides three different Russian words. что is the conjunction 'that' (a reported fact), кото́рый is the relative pronoun 'which/who/that' that modifies a noun and declines, and что́бы marks purpose or a wish for someone else. Three tests tell them apart.