Questions & Answers about Это музыка?
Where is the word 'is' in this sentence?
Russian skips the verb 'to be' (am, is, are) in the present tense. So, Это музыка? literally translates to 'This music?'. You just put the word for 'this' (Это) and the noun (музыка) side by side.
How do we know this is a question if the words are in the exact same order as a statement?
In Russian, you can turn a simple statement like Это музыка (This is music) into a yes/no question just by changing your tone of voice. You don't need to change the word order or add a helper word like 'is' or 'do'. When speaking, your voice goes up sharply on the word you are asking about—in this case, the first syllable of музыка.
How would I answer this question with a simple 'yes' or 'no'?
To answer 'yes', you simply say Да. To be more complete, you can say Да, это музыка (Yes, this is music). For 'no', you say Нет. A full negative answer would be Нет, это не музыка (No, this is not music).
Why does the 'o' at the end of Это sound like an 'a' or 'uh'?
In Russian, the letter о is only pronounced like a clear 'o' when the emphasis (stress) of the word falls on it. In Это, the stress is on the first letter (Э). Because the о is unstressed, it makes an 'uh' or short 'a' sound, making it sound like 'eh-tuh'.
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