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Questions & Answers about Это только начало.
Where is the verb "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the verb "to be" is generally skipped in the present tense. Because of this, Это translates directly as "This is" all on its own.
Is начало a time expression like the ones we are learning?
начало is a noun meaning "the beginning" or "the start". While it is not an adverb like потом (later) or раньше (earlier), it is closely related to time and sequences. You will often see it used to describe when things happen.
Why is the word for "this" это (ending in -о)?
When you are introducing something or saying "This is...", you always use the fixed form это, no matter the gender of the noun that follows. Here, начало happens to be a neuter noun anyway, but you would still use это even if the next word was masculine or feminine.
How is только used here?
только means "only" or "just". It is usually placed directly before the word it emphasizes. Here, it goes right before начало to stress that this is just the start.