Zero copula

Okay kiddo, so you know when we use a word like "is" to say something like "the cat is sleeping"? That's called a copula. But in some languages, like Russian or Chinese, they don't use a copula in that sentence, they just say "cat sleeping." And that's what a zero copula is - when there isn't a word like "is" in the sentence, but we still know what it means. It can make language sound different and sometimes make it harder to learn, but it's just another way of saying things!