È un amico fidato.

Because è is the verb is from essere (to be), and the accent distinguishes it from e, which means and.

So:

• è = is
• e = and

In careful writing, the capital form should also keep the accent: È.

Italian often leaves out subject pronouns when they are understood from the verb form or the context.

So È un amico fidato can mean:

• He is a trusted friend
• She is a trusted friend if the rest of the sentence were adjusted for feminine agreement
• It is a trusted friend in some contexts, though that is less likely here

With just È, Italian does not need to say he or she unless the speaker wants emphasis or contrast.

Because Italian normally uses an article with a singular countable noun.

So:

• un amico = a friend
• amico by itself would usually sound incomplete in a sentence like this

This is similar to English a friend, not just friend.

The masculine singular indefinite article changes depending on the sound that follows.

Use:

• un before most masculine nouns: un amico, un libro
• uno before certain consonant sounds: uno studente, uno zio, uno psicologo

Since amico begins with a vowel sound, the correct form is un amico.

Here fidato means trusted, trustworthy, or reliable.

So un amico fidato is:

• a friend you trust
• a dependable friend
• a loyal, reliable friend

It comes from the idea of trust. In this sentence, it describes amico.

Also, do not confuse fidato with fidanzato:

• fidato = trusted / reliable
• fidanzato = boyfriend / fiancé

In Italian, adjectives often come after the noun, especially in ordinary, neutral descriptions.

So:

• un amico fidato = the normal, straightforward order

You may also see un fidato amico. That is possible, but it can sound a bit more literary, emphatic, or stylistically marked.

In simple everyday Italian, amico fidato is very natural.

Because adjectives in Italian must agree with the noun they describe in gender and number.

Here:

• amico is masculine singular
• so the adjective must also be masculine singular: fidato

Other forms would be:

• amica fidata = a trusted female friend
• amici fidati = trusted male friends / mixed group
• amiche fidate = trusted female friends

Yes, in this sentence amico refers to a male friend.

If you were talking about a female friend, you would say:

• È un'amica fidata.

Notice two changes:

• amico → amica
• fidato → fidata

And because amica begins with a vowel, the article becomes un': un'amica.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

È un amico fidato
eh oon ah-MEE-ko fee-DAH-to

A few useful points:

• È sounds like eh
• amico is stressed on -mi-
• fidato is stressed on -da-

So the rhythm is:

È un a-MI-co fi-DA-to

Yes. By itself, è is just is. Italian does not show he/she in the verb form here.

So the verb alone does not tell you the subject’s gender. However, the rest of the sentence does help:

• un amico fidato is masculine
• so this sentence naturally refers to a male friend

If it referred to a woman, the sentence would need feminine forms:

• È un'amica fidata.