Questions & Answers about Han är en riktig vän.
Why do we use riktig here instead of a word like sann?
While sann means true, riktig is the most natural word to use when you mean a genuine or proper friend. Swedes almost always say en riktig vän to express the idea of a real friend.
Why is the adjective spelled riktig and not riktigt?
Adjectives in Swedish change to match the noun they describe. Because vän is an en-word (as shown by the article en), the adjective keeps its base form riktig. If you were talking about an ett-word, it would need a t-ending, for example ett riktigt problem (a real problem).
Can the word riktig mean anything else?
Yes, riktig is also the standard word for correct or right, like getting the correct answer on a test. But when used as a descriptive word right before a noun like vän, it means real, genuine, or proper.
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