Это хороший способ.

In Russian, the verb to be is usually omitted in the present tense.

So:

• Это хороший способ. = This/It is a good way/method.

Russian does not normally say a present-tense equivalent of это есть хороший способ in everyday speech. That would sound unnatural or very formal/odd.

In other tenses, to be does appear:

• Это был хороший способ. = It was a good way.
• Это будет хороший способ. = It will be a good way.

Это can often mean this or it, depending on context.

In a sentence like Это хороший способ, это is commonly used to mean:

• This is a good way
• It is a good way

Russian uses это very often in identifying or describing something.

A useful thing to remember:

• это = this / it / that in many sentence patterns
• It is not changing here for gender or number

So even if the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter, you can still use это in this type of sentence.

Because способ is a masculine singular noun, and the adjective must agree with it.

Agreement in Russian means the adjective matches the noun in:

• gender
• number
• case

Here:

• способ = masculine, singular, nominative
• so the adjective must be хороший

Compare:

• хороший способ = a good way/method (masculine)
• хорошая идея = a good idea (feminine)
• хорошее решение = a good decision/solution (neuter)

It is in the nominative case.

In Это хороший способ, the phrase хороший способ is the thing being identified or described, so it stays in the nominative.

You can think of the structure as:

• Это
  • noun phrase in nominative

Examples of the same pattern:

• Это мой брат. = This is my brother.
• Это хорошая книга. = This is a good book.
• Это интересное место. = This is an interesting place.

Способ usually means method, way, or means of doing something.

So Это хороший способ can be translated as:

• This is a good way
• This is a good method

It often sounds a little more like method or approach than the very broad English word way.

For example:

• хороший способ выучить слова = a good way/method to learn words

So yes, way is often a correct translation, but способ is specifically about a means or method.

Yes, Russian word order is fairly flexible, but the emphasis changes.

The most neutral version is:

• Это хороший способ.

Other possible versions include:

• Хороший способ. = A good way. / It’s a good way.
  This can work if the context is clear.
• Способ хороший. = The way/method is good.
  This sounds more contrastive or emphatic.

For learners, Это хороший способ is the safest and most natural basic pattern.

No. Russian has no articles.

So хороший способ could mean:

• a good way
• the good way

Which one is meant depends on context.

In this sentence, English usually prefers:

• This is a good way.

But in another context, it could be understood more specifically.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Это = EH-tuh
• хороший = khuh-RO-shiy
• способ = SPO-sup

More accurately:

• Это — stress on the first syllable: э́то
• хороший — stress on ро: хоро́ший
• способ — stress on the first syllable: спо́соб

A few pronunciation notes:

• х sounds like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach
• Unstressed о is often pronounced more like a or a reduced vowel
• Final voiced consonants can devoice, so способ sounds closer to spósup at the end

This is a very common beginner question.

• это = this / it / that in sentences like This is...
• этот = this before a masculine noun

So:

• Это хороший способ. = This is a good way.
• Этот способ хороший. = This way/method is good.

Notice the difference:

1. Это хороший способ
   You are identifying something: This is a good method.

2. Этот способ хороший
   You are talking about a specific method: This method is good.

So это and этот are related, but they are not interchangeable.

Usually, in normal simple writing, you can write:

• Это хороший способ.

A dash may appear for emphasis, pause, or style:

• Это — хороший способ.

The version without the dash is completely normal and standard for learners to use.

So if you are just learning the basic sentence, write:

• Это хороший способ.