Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Russian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Кто это? Это человек.
Why do we use кто here instead of что?
Кто means "who" and is used to ask about living beings like people and animals. Because the answer is a person (человек), we ask the question using кто. If we were asking about an inanimate object, we would use что (what).
Where is the word for "is" in these sentences?
Russian almost always skips the verb "to be" in the present tense. Кто это? literally translates as "Who this?" and Это человек is simply "This person."
Does это change depending on the gender of the person?
No, it doesn't change here. When you use это to point something out and say "This is...", it acts as a fixed phrase. It stays exactly the same regardless of whether you are pointing out a man, a woman, or even a group of people.
Does человек mean "person" or "man"?
Человек means "person" or "human being" in general, regardless of their gender. If you want to specifically say "man" (as in an adult male), you would use the word мужчина.