German Phrase
Was ist dir wirklich wichtig?
Meaning
The sentence asks the listener to reveal the things that truly matter to them. The word ‘wirklich’ adds emphasis, distinguishing it from the more neutral ‘Was ist dir wichtig?’
When to use
Use this question in personal conversations when you want to get deeper insight into someone's values, such as during a job interview, a coaching session, or a friendly chat about life goals.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wasistdirwirklichwichtig?
Was (interrogative pronoun)
‘Was’ introduces a question about a thing or concept and stands at the beginning of a yes‑no or wh‑question.
Verb‑second (V2) word order
In German main clauses the finite verb occupies the second position; the subject can be omitted if it is clear from context.
dir (dative personal pronoun)
‘dir’ is the dative form of ‘du’; it is used after adjectives like ‘wichtig’ that take a dative object to indicate who something matters to.
wirklich (adverb)
‘wirklich’ intensifies the adjective and is placed directly before the adjective it modifies.
wichtig (predicative adjective)
When used with ‘sein’, ‘wichtig’ functions as a predicative adjective and does not change its ending.
🗨In Conversation
Was ist dir wirklich wichtig?
What is truly important to you?
Mir ist meine Familie sehr wichtig, und ich lege viel Wert auf Ehrlichkeit.
My family is very important to me, and I place a lot of value on honesty.
✕Common Mistakes
Was ist du wirklich wichtig?
After ‘wichtig’ the person must be in dative, not nominative.
Was wirklich ist dir wichtig?
The verb must stay in second position; do not place ‘wirklich’ before the verb.
Was ist dir wirklich wichtiges?
‘wichtig’ is used predicatively with ‘sein’ and stays unchanged; do not add an ending.
↔Alternatives
Was ist dir wichtig?
What is important to you?
Was liegt dir am Herzen?
What is close to your heart?
Was bedeutet dir wirklich etwas?
What really matters to you?
Cultural Tip
German speakers appreciate directness, but adding ‘wirklich’ signals that you are looking for a sincere, thoughtful answer rather than a superficial one. In formal settings you might replace ‘dir’ with ‘Ihnen’ (e.g., ‘Was ist Ihnen wirklich wichtig?’) to show respect.