Questions & Answers about Ist das echt?
Why doesn't echt have an adjective ending here?
Because it comes after the verb ist rather than right before a noun. In German, adjectives only get endings (like -e or -es) when they are placed directly in front of the noun they describe, like in ein echtes Problem (a genuine problem).
I thought echt meant "really". Can it mean both?
Yes! echt can be an adjective meaning "genuine" or "real", as it is in this sentence. It is also very commonly used as an adverb meaning "really" or "very" to emphasize something, like in Das ist echt teuer! (That is really expensive!).
How could I add a conversational particle to this question?
To make this question sound more natural and conversational, you could insert the particle denn right after the pronoun: Ist das denn echt? This softens the question and shows casual curiosity, similar to asking "Is that actually genuine, then?" in English.
Why does this sentence use das instead of es?
Here, das translates to "that" or "this". It is acting as a demonstrative pronoun to point directly at an object. You could say Ist es echt? (Is it genuine?), but pointing something out with das is extremely common in everyday spoken German.
Learn Ist das echt and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free