Breakdown of Триста метров — это недалеко.
это
this / it is
недалеко
not far, nearby
метр
metre
триста
three hundred
Questions & Answers about Триста метров — это недалеко.
Why is it метров (genitive plural) and not метра (genitive singular) after a word starting with three?
You probably remember that the numbers 2, 3, and 4 are followed by the genitive singular (so "three metres" is три метра). However, the words for 200, 300, and 400 are exceptions! After двести, триста, and четыреста, the noun switches to the genitive plural. That is why we use метров here.
Why is "three hundred" a single word (триста) instead of two words?
In Russian, the exact hundreds from 200 to 900 are written as single compound words rather than separate words. Триста is made of три (three) and ста (an old form of the word for hundred). You don't say три сто; you just learn these new compound words as a set.
Why is there a dash and the word это in the middle of the sentence?
Russian generally skips the verb "to be" (is/are) in the present tense. When commenting on a subject like a distance, or equating a subject to a description, Russians often use a dash and the word это to act as a bridge. It works exactly like saying "Three hundred metres — this [is] not far."
Why is недалеко written as one word instead of не далеко?