geu somuneun jinjjayeyo?

Usually, yes: 그 means that.

In this sentence, though, it often works like that rumor we’re talking about or even the rumor in natural English. Korean 그 is often used for something already known in the conversation, not only something physically far away.

So 그 소문은 can feel like:

• that rumor
• that rumor we heard about
• sometimes simply the rumor

은/는 is the topic marker.

So 그 소문은 진짜예요? is literally something like:

• As for that rumor, is it true?

This is natural when the rumor is already the topic of conversation.

If you used 이/가 instead, the nuance would shift a little more toward identifying or focusing on the subject:

• 그 소문이 진짜예요?

That can still mean Is that rumor true?, but 은/는 is very natural when you are bringing up the rumor as the topic.

A simple learner-friendly way to think about it:

• 은/는 = talking about something
• 이/가 = focusing on what/which thing is the subject

진짜예요 is made from:

• 진짜 = real, genuine, true
• 예요 = polite form of to be

So Korean is not using an adjective in exactly the same way English does. It is more like:

• It is real / It is true

In everyday Korean, 진짜 is very commonly used in this kind of sentence and feels very natural.

This depends on whether the word before it ends in a vowel or a consonant.

• after a vowel: 예요
• after a consonant: 이에요

Here, 진짜 ends in the vowel ㅏ, so you use 예요:

• 진짜예요

Compare:

• 학생이에요 = is a student
  (학생 ends in a consonant)
• 의사예요 = is a doctor
  (의사 ends in a vowel)

That’s normal in Korean.

Korean usually does not change word order to make a yes/no question. Instead, the sentence becomes a question through:

• intonation
• and, in writing, a question mark

So:

• 그 소문은 진짜예요. = That rumor is true.
• 그 소문은 진짜예요? = Is that rumor true?

The structure stays the same; the question is shown by the rising tone and punctuation.

예요 is the polite, everyday style called 해요체.

It is appropriate for:

• people you do not speak casually with
• coworkers
• acquaintances
• most everyday conversations

Compared with other levels:

• 그 소문은 진짜야? = casual, for close friends
• 그 소문은 진짜예요? = polite everyday
• 그 소문은 진짜입니까? = formal, stiffer, more official

So this sentence is polite but not overly formal.

Yes, 진짜예요? is very natural in conversation.

But there are other possibilities, depending on tone:

• 그 소문은 진짜예요?
  = Is that rumor true?
  Natural, conversational.

• 그 소문은 사실이에요?
  = Is that rumor a fact / actually true?
  Slightly more neutral or formal.

• 그 소문 정말이에요?
  This can also be heard, but 정말 is often used more like really.
  In many cases, 진짜예요? or 사실이에요? is clearer for Is it true?

A good rule:

• 진짜 = very common and conversational
• 사실 = a bit more factual or formal

Yes. Korean often drops words that are clear from context.

So you may hear:

• 소문은 진짜예요? = Is the rumor true?
• 그 소문은 진짜예요? = Is that rumor true?

Adding 그 helps specify that rumor. Dropping it is fine if both people already know which rumor is being discussed.

In very casual speech, people may even shorten more:

• 그 소문 진짜예요?
• 소문 진짜예요?

These are conversational and natural, though the fully marked version is helpful for learners.

진짜 is pronounced roughly like jin-jja.

A few pronunciation notes:

• ㅉ is a tense sound, stronger than plain ㅈ
• so 진짜 is not jin-ja, but more like jin-jja

The whole sentence is roughly:

• geu so-mu-neun jin-jja-ye-yo?

Romanization is only approximate, but the key thing is to make 짜 sound tense.

소문 usually means:

• rumor
• word going around
• something people are saying

It can overlap a bit with gossip in English, but rumor is the safest basic translation here.

So 그 소문은 진짜예요? most naturally means:

• Is that rumor true?
• Is what people are saying true?