Questions & Answers about Это яблоко.
How can I tell what gender яблоко is?
Look at the last letter! In the nominative (dictionary) form, nouns ending in -о are almost always neuter. So, яблоко is a neuter noun.
There is no verb in this sentence. How does it mean 'This is an apple'?
In the present tense, Russian normally skips the verb 'to be' (am, is, are). You simply place the subject (Это) right next to what it is (яблоко).
If яблоко ends in -о, why does it sound like it ends in an 'a'?
In Russian, the letter о sounds like an 'a' when it does not have the voice stress. The emphasis in яблоко is on the first letter (я), so the final -о makes a short 'a' sound. Don't let the sound trick you when figuring out the gender; it is still spelled with an -о!
Is there a word for 'an' in this sentence?
No, Russian does not have articles like 'a', 'an', or 'the'. The word яблоко by itself translates perfectly to 'an apple' here.
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