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Questions & Answers about Гора высокая.
Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" is almost always left out. To say "The mountain is high," you literally just say "Mountain high" (Гора высокая).
Why does the adjective высокая end in -ая?
Adjectives in Russian must match the gender of the noun they describe. The word for mountain, гора, ends in -а, which makes it a feminine noun. So, the dictionary form of the adjective (высокий) changes its ending to the feminine -ая to match.
Does the word order matter? How would I say "a high mountain" instead of "The mountain is high"?
Yes, word order helps show the meaning! To say "a high mountain" (just a descriptive phrase), you normally put the adjective first: высокая гора. By putting the noun first here (Гора высокая), it acts as a complete sentence meaning "The mountain is high."