Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Russian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Это автобус два.
Why do we use два instead of две here?
The number two has different forms depending on gender. Because автобус (bus) ends in a consonant, it is a masculine noun. Therefore, we must use the masculine/neuter form два instead of the feminine form две.
Is it common to skip the word for 'number' in Russian?
Yes! Just like in English, you can simply say автобус два (bus two). You will also hear автобус номер два (bus number two), but dropping the word номер is very common and completely natural in everyday speech.
If автобус is masculine, why do we use the neuter word это?
When we use 'this is' to introduce or point something out, we always use the fixed neuter form это, no matter the gender of the noun that follows. You would only use the masculine этот if you were saying 'this bus' (этот автобус) as a single connected phrase.
Why does the number come after the noun here?
Because it is identifying the specific route or label of the bus (Bus #2). If you put the number first to count the buses (two buses), it becomes a quantity and actually changes the ending of the noun: два автобуса.