Question 1

Why does the sentence use это instead of a masculine word to match холодильник?

Accepted Answer

When you use это to mean "this is" or "it is" to introduce something, it acts as a fixed pointing word and stays exactly like this, no matter the gender of the noun that follows. If you wanted to say "this new refrigerator" (without the "is"), you would use the masculine matching word: этот новый холодильник.

Question 2

Why is новый in the Nominative case here instead of the Prepositional case we are currently learning?

Accepted Answer

Sentences that simply state "This is a [thing]" always use the Nominative (dictionary) form. You only use the Prepositional case when talking about the location of something (usually after prepositions like в or на), or what you are thinking or talking about (after о).

Question 3

How can I tell that холодильник is a masculine noun?

Accepted Answer

You can tell by its ending. In Russian, nouns that end in a consonant, like the -к in холодильник, are almost always masculine. Because the noun is masculine, the adjective for "new" must take the matching masculine ending -ый to become новый.

Question 4

Is there an easy way to remember the long word холодильник?

Accepted Answer

Yes! It is built from the word холод, which means "cold." The ending -ильник is often used in Russian to name tools or appliances, so a холодильник is literally just a "device for making things cold."

Это новый холодильник.

Breakdown of Это новый холодильник.

Questions & Answers about Это новый холодильник.

Learn Это новый холодильник and more in Russian