Questions & Answers about Ты студент?
Where is the word for "are" in this sentence?
In Russian, the verb "to be" (am, is, are) is almost always skipped in the present tense. Instead of saying "Are you a student?", you literally just say Ты студент? (You student?).
How do we know this is a question? The words are exactly the same as the statement "You are a student."
In Russian, yes/no questions often use the exact same word order as normal statements. The only difference is in the spoken intonation! To make this a question, your voice should rise sharply on the stressed syllable of the word you are asking about—in this case, on the "e" in студент.
Does the word студент change if I am asking a woman?
Yes! Студент is the masculine word for a student. If you are speaking to a female, you need to use the feminine version: Ты студентка?
Can I use this exact sentence to ask anyone if they are a student?
Not everyone. This sentence uses ты, which is the informal "you" for friends, family, or people your own age and younger. If you are speaking to someone older or in a formal setting, you would use the formal "you" instead: Вы студент?
How do I answer this question with a simple yes or no?
To answer "Yes, I am a student," you say Да, я студент (or студентка if you are female). To simply say "No," you just say Нет.
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