For Fathers
If you’re a dad, your son is your atali’i and your daughter is your afafine.
For example:
E vave le tamo’e a lo’u atali’i. | My son runs fast.
O lo’u afafine e poto. | My daughter is smart.
Mothers
A mother’s daughter is her tamateine, and son is her tamatane.
Examples:
O la’u tamateine e umī. | My daughter is tall.
O la’u tamatane e ta’alo lakapī | My son plays rugby.
Mothers, however, will often use the short form of these words and refer to her child as just tama – regardless of whether it’s a boy or a girl.
For example:
Fai i la’u tama e sau. | Tell my (son/daughter) to come
More than one child
Gender doesn’t matter so much if you’re talking about more than one child. Both fathers and mothers can refer to their children as fānau. For example:
Ou te alofa i la’u fānau. | I love my children
0 Comments