Meaning
Asks about someone's problem or reason for acting a certain way.
Cultural Background
Germans value 'Ehrlichkeit' (honesty). If you ask this, be prepared for a real, sometimes long, answer about their problems. In Vienna, this might be asked with a bit of 'Grant' (grumpiness). It's often 'Was hast denn?' instead. Swiss people might find the standard German version a bit too direct or 'harsh' compared to their more melodic dialect versions. People here are known for being 'wortkarg' (brief). They might just say 'Was los?' and expect you to know they mean 'mit dir'.
Use Modal Particles
Add 'denn' to sound more curious: 'Was ist denn mit dir los?'. It softens the question.
Watch Your Tone
A sharp tone makes this sound like 'What's your problem?'. A soft tone makes it 'Are you okay?'.
Meaning
Asks about someone's problem or reason for acting a certain way.
Use Modal Particles
Add 'denn' to sound more curious: 'Was ist denn mit dir los?'. It softens the question.
Watch Your Tone
A sharp tone makes this sound like 'What's your problem?'. A soft tone makes it 'Are you okay?'.
Don't use as 'Hello'
Unlike 'What's up?' in English, this is not a greeting. Only use it if something seems wrong.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct dative pronoun.
Dein {der|m} Vater sieht traurig aus. Was ist mit ___ los?
The preposition 'mit' requires the dative case. 'Ihm' is the dative of 'er'.
Which situation is appropriate for 'Was ist mit dir los?'
Select the best context:
The phrase is used to inquire about someone's emotional state or problems.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Du hast heute schon drei {der|m} Fehler gemacht. ___? B: Entschuldigung, ich habe Kopfschmerzen.
The context of making mistakes suggests an inquiry into what is wrong.
Match the tone to the sentence.
1. 'Was ist denn bloß mit dir los?' vs 2. 'Was ist mit Ihnen los?'
'Denn bloß' adds emotion/surprise; 'Ihnen' is formal.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesDein {der|m} Vater sieht traurig aus. Was ist mit ___ los?
The preposition 'mit' requires the dative case. 'Ihm' is the dative of 'er'.
Select the best context:
The phrase is used to inquire about someone's emotional state or problems.
A: Du hast heute schon drei {der|m} Fehler gemacht. ___? B: Entschuldigung, ich habe Kopfschmerzen.
The context of making mistakes suggests an inquiry into what is wrong.
1. 'Was ist denn bloß mit dir los?' vs 2. 'Was ist mit Ihnen los?'
'Denn bloß' adds emotion/surprise; 'Ihnen' is formal.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsIt depends on the tone. With friends, it's caring. With strangers, it can be confrontational.
Yes, but it usually means 'What about you?' in a choice-making context, not 'What's wrong?'.
You can say 'Nichts, alles gut' (Nothing, all good) or explain your problem.
Yes! 'Was ist mit dem {das|n} Auto los?' is perfectly natural.
'Was ist los?' is 'What's happening?'. 'Was ist mit dir los?' is 'What's wrong with YOU?'.
No, it's a predicative adjective/particle. The verb is 'ist'.
No, that would be very unprofessional and rude.
Yes: 'Was war mit dir los?'.
Related Phrases
Was ist los?
similarWhat's up? / What's happening?
Was hast du?
synonymWhat's wrong with you?
Stimmt etwas nicht?
similarIs something wrong?
Was geht ab?
similarWhat's going on?
