Breakdown of Это мой любимый мультфильм.
это
this / it is
мой
my / mine
любимый
favourite
мультфильм
cartoon
Questions & Answers about Это мой любимый мультфильм.
Why do we use the neuter Это when мультфильм is masculine? Shouldn't it be Этот?
Here, это acts as a generic "this is" (a dummy pronoun), so it stays in its default neuter form regardless of the noun's gender. You would only use the masculine этот if it were a pointing word attached directly to the noun, like in этот мультфильм (this cartoon).
Where is the word for "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" is almost always skipped. So, "This is..." is simply expressed as Это... followed directly by the rest of the sentence without any verb.
We are learning the instrumental plural. How would I change мой любимый мультфильм to say "with my favourite cartoons"?
You would use the preposition с (with) and change all three words into the instrumental plural: с моими любимыми мультфильмами. The pronoun мой becomes моими, the adjective takes the -ыми ending, and the masculine noun takes -ами.
What does the soft sign (ь) do in the middle of мультфильм?
The soft sign (ь) makes the т before it sound soft, like you are about to say a "y" right after it. Also, notice that мультфильм is a fun borrowed word, combining "multi" (for animation) and "film"!
Learn Это мой любимый мультфильм and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free