How do you say “it’s me” in Russian without “is”?

Это я means “it’s me” or “this is me,” and it is only two words because Russian drops the verb “to be” in the present tense. There is no “am,” “is” or “are” to add: это ты is “this is you,” я студент is “I am a student,” она дома is “she is at home.” The verb simply isn’t said.

In writing, a dash sometimes stands in for the missing verb between two nouns: Москва — столица России, “Moscow is the capital of Russia.” The verb does come back in the past and future: это был я (“it was me”), я буду дома (“I will be home”). In the clip, Inna points at herself and the viewer, это я, это ты, before asking а тебя как зовут?