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Questions & Answers about Это зелёный цвет.
How would I ask 'What color is this?' using the question words from this lesson?
You would use the masculine word какой (what/which) because the noun цвет (color) is masculine. You would ask: Какой это цвет?
Why does the adjective зелёный end in -ый here?
Adjectives always have to match the gender of the noun they describe. Since цвет is a masculine noun, the adjective takes the standard masculine nominative (dictionary form) ending, which is -ый.
The English translation says 'the color green.' Why are the words swapped in Russian?
In Russian, you simply use the normal adjective-noun order, literally saying 'This is green color' (Это зелёный цвет). English often says 'the color green' to sound more natural, but Russian keeps the grammar straightforward.
Where is the verb 'is' in this sentence?
Russian usually leaves out the verb 'to be' (am, is, are) in the present tense. The word Это acts as 'This is,' and you just state what the object is right after it.