German Phrase
Ist er ein echter Freund?
Meaning
Literally, “Is he a true friend?” The speaker is asking whether the person in question is reliable, sincere and supportive, not just an acquaintance or a casual buddy.
When to use
Use this question when you want to evaluate someone’s loyalty after a specific event (e.g., they helped you in a difficult situation) or when you’re comparing two people’s trustworthiness.
✦Grammar Breakdown
IstereinechterFreund?
Verb‑first question (V1)
In yes/no questions the finite verb moves to the first position, followed by the subject.
Indefinite article + adjective (strong declension)
After the masculine nominative indefinite article *ein* the adjective takes the strong ending *-er* (ein *echter* Freund).
Adjective ending –er
The ending *-er* signals masculine nominative singular when no definite article is present.
Noun gender
*Freund* is a masculine noun, so the article and adjective must agree in gender, case and number.
🗨In Conversation
Ist er ein echter Freund?
Is he a true friend?
Ja, er steht immer zu mir, egal was passiert.
Yes, he’s always there for me, no matter what.
✕Common Mistakes
Ist er ein echten Freund?
After *ein* the adjective takes the strong ending *-er*, not the weak *-en*.
Ist er ein Freund echter?
The adjective must precede the noun; the order *echter Freund* is required.
Ist er ein echteren Freund?
The comparative *-en* ending is wrong here; you need the simple adjective *echter*.
↔Alternatives
Ist er ein wahrer Freund?
Is he a genuine friend?
Ist er ein echter Kumpel?
Is he a real buddy?
Kann ich mich auf ihn verlassen?
Can I rely on him?
Cultural Tip
In German *Freund* can mean ‘friend’ or ‘boyfriend’ depending on context. Adding *echter* removes ambiguity and stresses authenticity. Germans often value reliability over length of friendship, so asking if someone is an *echter Freund* is a common way to test trust.