Questions & Answers about Это книжный магазин.
Since this lesson is about the prepositional case, how would I say 'in a bookshop'?
You would use the preposition в (in) and add -е to the end of the noun, making it в магазине. The adjective also changes (to в книжном магазине), but you will learn adjective endings later. For now, focus on the noun!
Why is there no word for 'is' in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb 'to be' (am, is, are) is almost always skipped. The sentence literally reads as 'This a bookshop'.
Is книжный related to the word книга (book)?
Yes! Книга is the noun for 'book', and книжный is its adjective form. Russian often uses adjectives to describe types of places, so a 'bookshop' is essentially described as a 'book-related shop'.
Магазин is masculine, so why do we use the neuter word Это here?
When это is used to introduce something or point something out (meaning 'This is...' or 'That is...'), it acts as a fixed introductory word. It always stays neuter (это), regardless of the gender of the noun that comes after it.
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