Learn Hardcore Russian: Это мой любимый фильм.

Это functions as a demonstrative pronoun that can be understood as "this" or "it is" in identity statements. Russian typically omits the present tense of "to be," so это serves to introduce the sentence without needing an explicit verb.

Why is there no verb equivalent to "is" in this sentence, unlike in English?

In Russian, the present tense form of the verb "to be" is usually omitted. The sentence Это мой любимый фильм is understood to mean "This is my favorite film" without explicitly stating "is."

How does the possessive adjective мой function here?

мой means "my" and acts as a possessive adjective describing фильм. It agrees in gender, number, and case with фильм (which is masculine singular), indicating ownership.

Why is the adjective любимый in its particular form?

Russian adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. Since фильм is masculine singular in the nominative case, любимый appears in its masculine singular form to match.

Can the word order in this sentence be rearranged without changing its meaning?

Yes, Russian allows for flexible word order. The standard phrasing, Это мой любимый фильм, clearly identifies the subject. However, rearrangements such as Мой любимый фильм — это are possible, though they might slightly shift the emphasis in the sentence.