Learn Russian: Где словарь? Он здесь. - Where is the dictionary? It is here.

Где словарь? Он здесь.

Where is the dictionary? It is here.

Breakdown of Где словарь? Он здесь.

he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)

словарь

dictionary

Questions & Answers about Где словарь? Он здесь.

Why does the second sentence use он? Doesn't that usually mean 'he'?

Yes, он means 'he', but in Russian, every noun has a grammatical gender. Словарь (dictionary) is a masculine noun. When you replace a masculine object with a pronoun, you must use он. So while we say 'It is here' in English, Russian literally says 'He is here'.

How can I tell that словарь is masculine so I know to use он?

Nouns ending in a soft sign (-ь) are a bit tricky because they can be either masculine or feminine. You simply have to memorize the gender of these words when you learn them. Словарь is a masculine noun, which is why we refer to it with он.

Where is the word for 'is' in 'Where is the dictionary?' and 'It is here.'?

In Russian, the verb 'to be' is almost always left out in the present tense. Instead of saying 'Where is the dictionary?', you just put the words together: Где словарь? (Where dictionary?). The same goes for the answer: Он здесь is literally 'He here'.