Demonstratives: э́то, вот, э́тот and там
The pointing words — э́то, вот, тут, там, э́тот, тот — let you talk about the world around you before you know any grammar at all.
Э́то is the workhorse. It means 'this is' or 'that is' and it never changes: Э́то кни́га. Э́то дом. Э́то Москва́. It is also used for the plural, where English needs 'these are' or 'those are': Э́то мои́ друзья́. One form covers every situation, which makes it the first word worth mastering.
Вот is the pointing word for something actually in front of you, or being handed over: 'here is', 'here you are', 'look'. Вот ваш ко́фе. Вот ключ. It is warmer and more physical than э́то. The adverbs тут and здесь mean 'here' and там means 'there'; being adverbs they never change either. Я здесь. Он там. Combined with э́то and вот, these five words give you a complete pointing-and-placing system with zero grammar.
Then there is э́тот, э́та, э́то, э́ти — a real demonstrative adjective that agrees with the noun in gender and number and declines through the cases: э́тот дом, э́та кни́га, э́то окно́, э́ти о́кна; в э́том до́ме, об э́той кни́ге. Do not confuse it with the invariable э́то. Э́то кни́га means 'This is a book'; Э́та кни́га means 'this book'. Beginners mix the two constantly, and it is the one distinction on this page worth drilling.
Тот, та, то, те is the further-away 'that': тот дом, та кни́га. In speech, though, Russian often just uses э́тот for both 'this' and 'that' and lets the context carry the distance, so you will hear э́тот far more often than тот.
Examples
- Э́то моя́ ма́ма. This is my mum. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Э́то моя́ ма́ма.
- Вот ваш ко́фе, пожа́луйста. Here is your coffee. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Вот ваш ко́фе, пожа́луйста.
- Э́то но́вые друзья́. These are new friends. — э́то does not change in the plural Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Э́то но́вые друзья́.
- Э́та кни́га интере́сная, а та кни́га — нет. This book is interesting, that one isn't. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Э́та кни́га интере́сная, а та кни́га — нет.
- Я здесь, а она́ там. I am here, and she is there. Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Я здесь, а она́ там.
- Мы живём в э́том до́ме. We live in this house. — э́тот declines and takes the prepositional ending Listen in Russian: Slow in Russian: Мы живём в э́том до́ме.