Learn Hardcore Russian: Комната пустая.

In Russian, the present‐tense form of the verb to be (быть) is usually omitted. The linking idea “the room is empty” is understood without saying есть or is. So Комната пустая literally means “room empty,” but is translated “The room is empty.”

What case and gender are комната and пустая in?

Both комната (room) and пустая (empty) are in the nominative singular feminine. The noun комната is feminine, and since the adjective describes that noun as a predicate, it also takes the nominative singular feminine ending -ая.

Why does пустая come after комната instead of before it?

Adjectives in Russian can go before or after the noun.
• Пустая комната (“an empty room”) is a noun phrase with the adjective first.
• Комната пустая is a full sentence with the adjective after, sounding more neutral or factual, as in “The room is empty.”

How do you pronounce комната and пустая?

• комната: stress on the first syllable – [KÓM‑na‑ta].
• пустая: stress on the second syllable – [pus‑TÁ‑ya].
Note that in unstressed syllables о and а are both pronounced like a reduced “a” sound.

What is the short form of пустая, and how is it used?

Russian adjectives have long (full) and short forms. For пустая the short nominative feminine is пуста.
You can say Комната пуста instead of Комната пустая. The short form often sounds more concise or formal.

Do adjectives always agree with nouns in Russian?

Yes. Adjectives must match the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. Here, комната is feminine singular nominative, so пустая also appears as feminine singular nominative.

How would you say “this room is empty”?

Use the demonstrative эта (this, fem. nom. sg.):
Эта комната пустая.
Here эта agrees with комната in gender, number, and case.

What’s the nuance between пустая комната and комната пустая?

• Пустая комната = “an empty room” (a descriptive phrase).
• Комната пустая = “The room is empty” (a statement).
Putting the adjective first focuses on the noun phrase; putting it after makes a complete sentence and can sound more neutral or observational.