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Questions & Answers about Это мой палец.
Why do we use the neuter word Это when палец is a masculine noun?
In this sentence, Это acts as a fixed pointing word meaning "this is" or "these are." It doesn't change its ending to match the noun. However, the possessive word мой (my) does have to match the masculine noun палец.
Where is the verb "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" is almost always left out. You literally just say "This my finger." If you were speaking in the past tense, you would need a verb: Это был мой палец (This was my finger).
Does палец only mean "finger"?
In Russian, палец translates to both "finger" and "toe". If the context isn't clear, you can specify by saying палец на руке (finger on the hand) or палец на ноге (toe on the foot).
If I wanted to say "These are my fingers," would Это change to a plural form?
No, Это stays exactly the same! When used to introduce something, it never changes. You would just make the other words plural: Это мои пальцы. Notice that the "е" in палец disappears when making it plural.