Learn Hardcore Filipino: Sobre ito.

Ito means this. It is a demonstrative pronoun, used for something near the speaker. In natural English, the whole sentence is often translated as This is an envelope. Depending on context, English might sometimes say It is an envelope, but the Filipino word itself is specifically this.

Why is sobre first? Shouldn’t ito come first?

Not necessarily. Filipino often uses a predicate-first word order. In this sentence, sobre names what the thing is, so it comes first: Sobre ito.

This kind of order is very common in short identifying statements, especially after a question like Ano ito? meaning What is this?

Where is the verb is?

There is no separate word for is here. Filipino can make simple equational or identifying sentences without an overt copula.

So even though Sobre ito looks very short, it already means This is an envelope. English requires is, but Filipino often does not.

Why is there no word for an, like in an envelope?