My main concern is about my children’s future. in Tetun

Grammar in this phrase

• Possession

  nia / nian — possession

  nia

  'nia' goes BEFORE the thing possessed; 'nian' goes AFTER. Both function the same way; position decides which form. 'nia' is also the 3rd-person pronoun (he / she / it) — disambiguate by position.

• Comparison

  liu — comparison 'more / most'

  liu

  Tetun comparison uses 'X liu Y' not 'mais X' — the adjective stays put and 'liu' follows. With a focus 'mak' it becomes superlative. Avoid Portuguese-style 'melhor' or 'mais boot'.

• Focus

  mak — focus marker

  mak

  'mak' focuses the preceding constituent — used when English would bold or cleft ('it was X who...'). Also forms the superlative with 'liu'.

More patterns like these in the Tetun grammar guide.

Related phrases

• Labarik barak moras malária. Ne'e duni husu ba inan-aman atu uza muskiteiru ba labarik sira.Many children are sick with malaria. Therefore we appeal to parents to use mosquito nets for the children.
• Atu garante futuru diak-liu tan ba labarik sira iha Timor-Leste, governu ratifika tiha Konvensaun Direitus ba Labarik.To guarantee an improved future for the children of Timor-Leste, the government has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Kuandu ema hala'o edukasaun sívika, sira hanorin povu kona ba lia polítiku nian, no mós kona ba direitu no responsabilidade reinu nian, atu foti povu nia konsiénsia polítiku.When people conduct civic education, they teach the people about political affairs, and also about the rights and responsibilities of the people, to raise their political awareness.
• Nia husu kona ba eskola.He asked about school.
• Ami hasoru labarik na'in rua iha ne'ebá.We met two children there.
• Ita presiza poupa osan ba futuru.We need to save money for the future.