Questions & Answers about Это колесо новое.
Why is it Это колесо новое rather than Это новое колесо?
The word order determines whether это acts as a pointing word ("this") or a standalone subject ("this is"). Это колесо новое means "This wheel is new". If you say Это новое колесо, the meaning changes to "This is a new wheel".
How do we know which form of это and новый to use here?
They must match the gender of the noun they describe. Колесо ends in -о, making it a neuter noun. Therefore, we use the neuter demonstrative это (this) and the neuter adjective ending -ое to make новое.
Since this lesson is about оба, how would we change this sentence to say "Both wheels are new"?
You would say Оба колеса новые. Because колесо is neuter, you use оба (rather than the feminine обе). After оба, the noun must be in the genitive singular (колеса), while the adjective goes into the nominative plural (новые).
What happens to the noun колесо if I want to talk about multiple wheels (plural)?
The nominative plural form is колёса. Notice that the stress shifts from the last syllable in the singular (колесо́) to the middle syllable in the plural, turning the е into an ё (which is always stressed in Russian).
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