Ovaj san mi je važan.

to be

Breakdown of Ovaj san mi je važan.

• mi: me (dative short form)
• važan: important
• ovaj: this

Questions & Answers about Ovaj san mi je važan.

What is the function of mi in Ovaj san mi je važan?

Mi is the unstressed/dative form of ja (I), meaning to me / for me.

Literally, the sentence is:

• Ovaj san mi je važan. = This dream is important to me.

Without mi, Ovaj san je važan just means This dream is important (in general).
With mi, you add a personal nuance: it matters specifically to me.

Why is it mi and not meni?

Both mi and meni mean to me, but:

• mi = clitic (short, unstressed form), normally placed in the “clitic slot” in the sentence (Ovaj san *mi je važan*).
• meni = stressed form (used when you want to emphasize me specifically).

Compare:

• Ovaj san mi je važan. – This dream is important to me. (neutral)
• Ovaj san je meni važan. – This dream is important to me (as opposed to others).

So, mi is the normal, unstressed choice here; meni is for emphasis or contrast.

Why is it ovaj and not ovo or ova?