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Questions & Answers about Комната абсолютно пустая.
Why is there no word for is in Комната абсолютно пустая?
In Russian, the present-tense verb to be is usually omitted in simple sentences like this.
So Russian says:
Комната абсолютно пустая
where English says:
The room is absolutely empty
This is called the zero copula. In the past or future, Russian does use a form of быть:
- Комната была абсолютно пустая — past
- Комната будет абсолютно пустая — future
Can I say Комната есть абсолютно пустая?
Normally, no.
In modern Russian, есть is not the normal present-tense word for is in sentences like this. A neutral statement just leaves it out:
- Комната абсолютно пустая
The word есть more often means there is, exists, or adds special emphasis in certain contexts. So here, using есть would sound unnatural.
How do I know that комната is feminine?