In Russian, to make a formal or definitive statement meaning "such is..." or "that's just how it is," use the predicative demonstrative pronoun таков.
You will often see it used to state unchangeable facts, strict rules, and inevitable outcomes. It behaves like a short-form adjective, meaning it only exists in the Nominative case and changes to agree with the gender and number of the noun it refers to: таков (masculine), такова (feminine), таково (neuter), and таковы (plural).
Notice how the pronoun often sits at the beginning of the clause for emphasis:
| Such is the harsh law of nature: someone must perish. | Таков суровый закон природы: кто-то должен погибнуть. |
| If the world seems unfair, then accept it. Such is life. | Если мир кажется несправедливым, то смирись. Такова жизнь. |
| Such is the rule of the company: the client is our main priority. | Таково правило компании: клиент — наш главный приоритет. |
| Such are the terms of the contract, and that is the essence of business. | Таковы условия договора, и в этом суть бизнеса. |
While it frequently appears right before the noun to introduce a rule or fact, you can also place it after the noun as a definitive, concluding thought:
| Half of the students failed the exam; such are the results. | Половина студентов не сдала экзамен, таковы результаты. |
| I have no time for this argument—such is my priority. | У меня нет времени на этот спор — таков мой приоритет. |
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