هذه القصة حقيقية.

Because القصة is a feminine singular noun, and the demonstrative has to match it.

• هذا = this for masculine singular
• هذه = this for feminine singular

Since قصة is feminine, Arabic uses هذه القصة = this story.

A common clue is the ـة at the end of قصة, which often marks a feminine noun.

In Arabic, when a demonstrative like هذا / هذه comes before a noun, that noun is usually still marked as definite with الـ.

So Arabic says:

• هذه القصة

Literally, that looks like this the-story, but in natural English it simply means this story.

This is normal Arabic structure, not extra emphasis.

Because in Arabic, the present tense verb to be is usually not written or spoken in simple sentences like this.

So:

• هذه القصة حقيقية
  literally: this story real

But the natural English translation is:

• This story is real / true

This kind of sentence is called a nominal sentence in Arabic.

If you wanted a past tense meaning, Arabic would use a verb, for example:

• كانت هذه القصة حقيقية = This story was real

Because adjectives in Arabic agree with the noun they describe or refer to in gender and number.

Here:

• القصة is feminine singular
• so حقيقي becomes حقيقية

Compare:

• كتاب حقيقي = a real book
• قصة حقيقية = a real story

So the ـة on حقيقية matches the feminine noun القصة.

Because here حقيقية is the predicate of the sentence, not an adjective inside the noun phrase.

The sentence structure is:

• هذه القصة = the subject: this story
• حقيقية = the predicate: is real / true

In Arabic, the predicate in this kind of sentence is often indefinite, so it does not take الـ.

So:

• هذه القصة حقيقية = This story is real

But if you said:

• القصة الحقيقية

that would mean the real story, where الحقيقية is a regular adjective directly modifying القصة.

It is originally an adjective, but in this sentence it functions as the predicate.

So grammatically, it is describing the subject, but it is not attached to the noun the same way as in a phrase like a real story.

Compare:

• قصة حقيقية = a real story

  • here حقيقية is a normal adjective modifying قصة

• هذه القصة حقيقية = This story is real

  • here حقيقية is the predicate of the whole sentence

So the same word can appear in both roles.

The basic order here is:

• هذه القصة = subject
• حقيقية = predicate

So the pattern is:

• Subject + predicate

Arabic often uses this order in present-tense nominal sentences.

A helpful way to see it is:

• هذه القصة → this story
• حقيقية → real / true

Together: This story is real / true

In Modern Standard Arabic, هذه is usually pronounced:

• hādhihi

Learners often notice that the spelling may not look obvious at first, so here is a rough breakdown:

• hā = long aa
• dhi
• hi

So the whole sentence can be pronounced roughly as:

• hādhihi al-qiṣṣa ḥaqīqiyya

In very careful formal reading with full case endings, it would be closer to:

• hādhihi al-qiṣṣatu ḥaqīqiyyatun

That letter is called tāʾ marbūṭa (ة).

It very often marks a feminine word.

In this sentence:

• قصة is feminine
• حقيقية is the feminine form of حقيقي

In pause, it is usually pronounced like -a or -ah:

• qiṣṣa
• ḥaqīqiyya

But in fully vocalized formal grammar contexts, it can sound like -at when case endings are pronounced in connected speech.

In fully vowelled, careful Modern Standard Arabic, the sentence would be:

• هَذِهِ الْقِصَّةُ حَقِيقِيَّةٌ

This would be read as:

• hādhihi al-qiṣṣatu ḥaqīqiyyatun

Why those endings?

• القصةُ takes -u because it is the subject of the nominal sentence
• حقيقيةٌ takes -un because it is the predicate and is indefinite

In normal everyday printed Arabic, these short vowel endings are usually omitted, so you typically see:

• هذه القصة حقيقية

Yes. حقيقي / حقيقية can mean real, genuine, or sometimes true, depending on context.

So هذه القصة حقيقية could be understood as:

• This story is real
• This story is true

The exact English choice depends on the situation and on the translation you have already been given.