Breakdown of Это очень оригинальный подарок.
это
this / it is
очень
very
подарок
gift, present
оригинальный
original
Questions & Answers about Это очень оригинальный подарок.
Why is it Это and not Этот, since подарок is a masculine noun?
Here, это acts as a standalone subject meaning 'this is' or 'that is'. Even though the noun it introduces (подарок) is masculine, the pronoun это stays neuter when used this way. You would only use the masculine этот if it were attached directly to the noun, like in Этот подарок очень оригинальный (This gift is very original).
Does оригинальный here mean 'the first of its kind' or 'unusual and creative'?
In this context, it means 'creative', 'unusual', or 'quirky'. When Russians say someone gave an оригинальный подарок, they mean the giver thought outside the box. If you want to say a document or painting is the original (not a copy), you would usually use the noun оригинал or the adjective подлинный.
How does the word подарок relate to the verb for giving a gift?
They share the same root: -дар- (gift). The verb 'to give a gift' is дарить (imperfective) or подарить (perfective). Recognizing this root helps you remember that подарок isn't just any object, but specifically a presented gift!
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