Вот is best translated as "here is," kind of like "voila" in French. Там is "there is." And здець is just "here."

Вот has a finger-point feel to it, and/or the end of a search. You emerge from the Metro and spot the store you were looking for and you say "Вот магазин!" Whereas здесь is explanatory: if your Muscovite friend asks you on the phone where you are, you'd say, "Здесь, в Москве!"

Вот is also much more idiomatic. In conversation it can convey "exactly!" kinda like "órale" can in Mexican Spanish. In those cases, you can draw it out and it's really fun to say. Friend: "Petersburg is just way better than Moscow." You: "Вооот."

Вот is like "behold"

these are the two i can't tell apart.

вот translation: here, there, THIS IS, THAT IS, there is /////// это translation: it, it is, THIS IS, THAT IS, these are

because they mean the exact same thing in english. we just say 'this is' and talk about both the location and the thing.

in russian, i have to bisect this thinking into two streams of thought. вот is more about me waving my hands at a location that something may be in (emphasis on location), while это is more about me waving my hands at the thing itself (while ignoring location)

sometimes words don't translate, so you need just put on your grammar cap and accept it for what it is. when you read 'здесь' think of the word 'present' instead of 'here'. that word translates pretty well on the 1-to-1 level.

The latter. Plural possessive pronouns are always мои, твои, ваши, наши in the Nominative.

Adjectives do decline differently, though. Don't worry, we are not focusing too much on their oblique forms until MUCH later in the course.

I was thinking the same thing, however, the etymologies are completely unrelated, so it's just a coincidence that it's a good mnemonic.

When I learned that Ozura means blue... I just remembered this word!!!

наш is more masculine, while наши is plural. hope this helps!

Озеро is singular (lake), озёра is plural (lakes)