This book, this school

Recognize gender and choose هذا or هذه.

Gender and a useful ending

كتاب book and بيت house are masculine; مدرسة school and سيارة car are feminine. ة is a common feminine ending, not a universal test. شمس sun is feminine without ة.

مدرسة / سيارة

This is...

Use هذا with a masculine singular noun and هذه with a feminine singular noun. هذا كتاب means this is a book; هذه مدرسة means this is a school. No present-tense word for is is needed.

هَذَا كِتَاب / هَذِهِ مَدْرَسَة

hādhā kitāb / hādhihi madrasa