How to Say “the” in Russian

Articles are tricky. Everyone knows that. In English there are two articles - the indefinite “a/an” and the definite “the”. If you ask yourself how to say “the” in Russian, be prepared for an unexpected answer. Here are some good news for you - there is no “the” in Russian! There is just no such notion as an article in this language. Now Russian seems much less complicated, doesn’t it? Still, there are ways to say “the” in Russian by using pronouns as defining indicators. To say that you want THIS something, use the pronouns “этот”, “это”, “эта” and “эти”. If you want THAT something, use “тот”, “та”, “то” and “те”, depending on the gender and number of objects, of course. To say “the” in Russian in the meaning of “exactly this” or “exactly that” something, just add a demonstrative particle “вот” or “вон”, respectively: “vot eta chashka (exactly this cup)” or “von tot stool (exactly that chair). In most cases though, when you want to say “the” in Russian, simply omit and forget about it. Instead, pay more attention to the context because it’s your best defining indicator!