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Questions & Answers about Профессор — это профессия.
Why is there a dash instead of a verb meaning "is"?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" (like "is" or "are") is normally skipped. When you want to say that one noun is another noun, you replace the missing verb with an em dash (—).
Why is the word это used here if it usually means "this"?
While это does mean "this" or "it", Russian frequently uses the combination of a dash and это (— это) to link two nouns. It acts like a bridge, making the sentence flow better. You can think of — это together as meaning "is a".
Where is the word for "a" in front of "profession"?
Russian does not have articles like "a", "an", or "the". The word профессия alone translates to "a profession" in this sentence.
How can I tell what gender the word профессия is?
It is a feminine noun. In Russian, nouns ending in -ия are feminine. Recognizing this ending is very helpful because many English words ending in "-ion" (like "profession" or "nation") translate to Russian words ending in -ия.