wahr
true
Corresponding to the facts or reality; correct and not false.
EXAMPLE
Die Geschichte, die er erzählt hat, ist tatsächlich wahr.
The story he told is actually true.
wahr
true
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Meanings
wahr
true
Real, sincere, and genuine; not merely apparent, but actually being that way.
EXAMPLE
Er ist ein wahrer Freund, auf den man sich immer verlassen kann.
He is a true friend, someone you can always rely on.
nicht wahr?
isn't it?
A question added to the end of a sentence to seek the other person's agreement.
EXAMPLE
Das Wetter ist heute schön, nicht wahr?
The weather is nice today, isn't it?
etwas wahr machen
to make something come true
To put a plan, dream, threat, or promise into action.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat ihren Traum wahr gemacht und ist um die Welt gereist.
She made her dream come true and traveled around the world.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'wahr' (true) is the core of a word family. Derived from it are, for example, 'die Wahrheit' (the truth, noun), 'wahrscheinlich' (probably, adverb, 'presumably true'), and 'bewahrheiten' (to prove true, verb, 'to turn out to be true').
EXAMPLE
Niemand kennt die ganze Wahrheit.
No one knows the whole truth.
Fixed question formula
The expression 'nicht wahr?' (isn't it?/right?) is a fixed question that you put at the end of a sentence to ask for the other person's agreement. It always stays the same, no matter how the main clause is structured.
EXAMPLE
Du kommst morgen auch zur Party, nicht wahr?
You're coming to the party tomorrow too, aren't you?
Fixed expression
The expression 'etwas wahr machen' (to make something come true) means to turn a wish, a dream, or even a threat into reality. The object stands between 'wahr' and 'machen'.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat ihren Traum wahr gemacht und ein eigenes Café eröffnet.
She made her dream come true and opened her own café.
Context clue
When 'wahr' (true) stands alone as a predicate, it usually means 'correct'. When it appears declined before a noun (e.g. 'ein wahrer Freund' — a true friend), it often means 'real' or 'sincere'.
EXAMPLE
Ist es wahr, dass der Zug ausfällt?
Is it true that the train is canceled?
Compare with
wahr vs wirklich
really
wirklich confirms as an adverb that an event or statement corresponds to reality. wahr, on the other hand, describes a statement, story, or piece of information as not false. Use wirklich for what actually happened and wahr for content that corresponds to the facts.
wahr
Die Geschichte ist wahr, denn alle wichtigen Details stimmen.
The story is true because all the important details are correct.
wirklich
Die Geschichte ist wirklich passiert, denn mehrere Menschen waren dabei.
The story really happened, because several people were there.
In real life
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