Это пустяк, не стоит спорить.

Russian often leaves out the verb to be in the present tense.

So:

• Это пустяк = This is a trifle / It’s nothing / It’s no big deal
• literally: This — a trifle

In past or future, Russian does use forms of to be:

• Это был пустяк = It was nothing
• Это будет пустяк = It will be nothing / It will be easy

So the missing is here is completely normal.

Это here means this, that, or very often just it, depending on context.

In sentences like this, это is commonly used very broadly:

• Это хорошо = That’s good / It’s good
• Это проблема = That’s a problem / It’s a problem
• Это пустяк = It’s nothing / That’s trivial

So even though это literally points to something, in English we often translate it as it.

Пустяк means something like:

• a trifle
• something insignificant
• nothing serious
• no big deal

It comes from the idea of something empty, minor, or not worth worrying about.

In real English translation, Это пустяк might be rendered as:

• It’s nothing
• It’s no big deal
• It’s trivial
• It’s a small matter

So the sentence is not necessarily cold or formal; it can be a natural, reassuring way to dismiss an issue as unimportant.

Because пустяк is a noun here, and it stays in the nominative singular form.

The structure is:

• Это = this/it
• пустяк = a trifle

So literally: This is a trifle.

Russian nouns do not change just because they follow это in this kind of sentence. The noun changes only when grammar requires a different case.

Не стоит is an impersonal expression meaning:

• it’s not worth it
• there’s no point
• you shouldn’t
• it’s not worth doing

With an infinitive, it forms a very common pattern:

• Не стоит волноваться = It’s not worth worrying
• Не стоит ждать = It’s not worth waiting
• Не стоит спорить = It’s not worth arguing

So in this sentence, the idea is softer and more practical than a direct command. It suggests that arguing is pointless because the matter is trivial.

Because не стоит is followed by an infinitive to say that doing something is not worthwhile.

Pattern:

• не стоит + infinitive

Examples:

• не стоит говорить = it’s not worth saying
• не стоит ехать = it’s not worth going
• не стоит спорить = it’s not worth arguing

So спорить is not conjugated because it works like arguing or to argue after it’s not worth.

Спорить is the imperfective verb, and that fits well here because the sentence refers to the activity in a general sense: arguing, having a dispute, getting into an argument.

Imperfective is normal when talking about an action as a process or general activity:

• Не стоит спорить = It’s not worth arguing

A perfective form like поспорить would sound more like to argue for a bit / to have an argument once, which is less natural in this general statement.

So the imperfective is the expected choice.

It can cover both, depending on context, but its basic meaning is to dispute, to argue about something, to disagree verbally.

It does not always mean an angry fight. It can be:

• a heated disagreement
• a verbal dispute
• a debate over who is right

If Russian wants to stress a more personal quarrel, other verbs may be used, such as ссориться.

So in не стоит спорить, the idea is usually there’s no point arguing/disputing about it, not necessarily don’t have a dramatic fight.

The comma separates two clauses:

• Это пустяк
• не стоит спорить

Russian often joins short related statements with a comma even without a conjunction like and or because.

The logic is something like:

• It’s a trivial matter, so it’s not worth arguing.

The connection is very natural and concise in Russian.

Not quite.

• Не стоит спорить = It’s not worth arguing / You really shouldn’t argue
• Не надо спорить = Don’t argue / No need to argue

Не стоит is usually softer and more tactful. It suggests pointlessness or lack of value.

Не надо is more direct and can sound more like an instruction.

So in this sentence, не стоит fits well because the first clause says the matter is trivial: since it is a small thing, arguing is unnecessary.

It is basically neutral everyday Russian.

• Это пустяк is common and natural.
• Не стоит спорить is also common and sounds polite and calm.

Together, the sentence sounds like something a person might say in normal conversation to calm things down:

• It’s nothing, no need to argue.
• It’s a small matter, it’s not worth arguing about.

It is not slang, and it is not especially formal.

Yes. Russian word order is flexible, though different orders shift emphasis.

Original:

• Это пустяк, не стоит спорить.

Possible variations:

• Не стоит спорить, это пустяк.
• Спорить не стоит: это пустяк.

These all express roughly the same idea, but the emphasis changes:

• starting with Это пустяк emphasizes the triviality first
• starting with Не стоит спорить emphasizes the advice first

The original version sounds very natural and balanced.

Yes, in practice it can be understood that way, but the Russian is a little softer than a straight command.

• Не стоит спорить is not as blunt as Не спорь or Не спорьте
• it suggests arguing would be pointless

So depending on context, good translations could include:

• It’s nothing; don’t argue about it.
• It’s a small matter; it’s not worth arguing.
• It’s no big deal; no point arguing.

All of these capture the tone reasonably well.