кто это?
kto eto?
In Russian, the phrase "who is it?" is translated as кто это? (kto eto?)
кто это? is a question used to ask for the identity of a person who is present or being pointed to. In a more playful context, you can use кто это? with an intonation of curiosity to express interest in finding out who is there.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the interrogative pronoun кто (who) and the demonstrative pronoun это (this/that).
Which one should you use?
Use кто это? when asking about a person and что это? when asking about an object or an animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, the verb 'to be' (is) is omitted in the present tense of this question.
How do you pronounce it?
kto eto?
What mistakes should you avoid?
If you are unsure about the person behind a door or a caller on the phone, do not use кто это? Instead, use Кто там? as the standard way to ask "Who is it?" If you want to ask who is speaking specifically on the phone, use Кто это говорит?
Did you know?
- The Russian word кто is a distant relative of the English word 'who'. Both trace their roots back to the Proto-Indo-European word *kʷós.
- Using кто это? with a high, sing-song intonation is a standard way for Russian adults to speak to babies, similar to 'baby talk' in English.
- In Russian, the pronoun это is gender-neutral and unchanging regardless of whether the person being asked about is a man, woman or child.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries кто, CC BY-SA 4.0.
