Questions & Answers about Это вода.
Why is there no word for "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" (like "is", "am", or "are") is normally left out. You just put the two parts together. So, это вода literally looks like "this water," but translates to "This is water."
Since вода is a feminine noun, why don't we use the feminine эта?
In this sentence, это acts as a fixed pointing word meaning "This is" or "It is" (called a presentative). When introducing or pointing out what something is, you always use the fixed form это, regardless of the noun's gender. You would only use the feminine эта if you were saying "this water" as a single combined phrase, like in "This water is cold."
Why is the letter "о" in вода pronounced like an "a"?
This happens because of a Russian pronunciation rule called vowel reduction. When the letter о is not stressed, it sounds like "a". In вода, the stress falls on the final syllable, so it is pronounced "va-DA".
Are there words for "a" or "the" hiding in this sentence?
No, Russian does not have articles like "a", "an", or "the". The single word вода can mean "water", "some water", or "the water" depending on the context. Here, simple "water" makes the most sense in English.
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