Portuguese Phrase
Ter filhos mudou minhas prioridades.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘Having children changed my priorities.’ It expresses how becoming a parent reshapes what you consider most important in life.
When to use
Use this phrase when reflecting on how parenthood has altered your goals, daily routine, or values. It works well in personal conversations, journal entries, or social‑media posts about family life.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Terfilhosmudouminhasprioridades.
Infinitive as Subject
In Portuguese, an infinitive verb can act as the subject of a sentence, as in 'Ter filhos' (Having children).
Plural Noun
'filhos' is the plural form of 'filho' (son/child).
Past Tense Agreement
'mudou' is the third‑person singular preterite of 'mudar' and agrees with the infinitive subject.
Possessive Adjective
'minhas' agrees in gender and number with the feminine plural noun 'prioridades'.
Plural Noun
'prioridades' is a feminine plural noun meaning 'priorities'.
🗨In Conversation
Ter filhos mudou minhas prioridades.
Having children changed my priorities.
Entendo. O que você passou a valorizar mais?
I understand. What do you value more now?
✕Common Mistakes
Tive filhos mudou minhas prioridades.
‘Tive filhos’ means ‘I had children (in the past)’, not the general idea of ‘having children’ as a life‑changing fact.
Ter filhos mudei minhas prioridades.
The verb must agree with the infinitive subject, so use ‘mudou’, not ‘mudei’.
Ter filhos mudou meus prioridades.
‘Prioridades’ is feminine, so the possessive must be ‘minhas’, not ‘meus’.
↔Alternatives
Ter filhos alterou minhas prioridades.
Having children altered my priorities.
Ter filhos fez eu repensar minhas prioridades.
Having children made me rethink my priorities.
Depois de ter filhos, minhas prioridades mudaram.
After having children, my priorities changed.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, talking about how children affect one’s life is common and often done in a warm, informal tone. The infinitive subject ‘Ter filhos’ sounds natural in spoken Portuguese, but in more formal writing you might replace it with ‘A paternidade’ or ‘Ser pai/mãe’. Remember that ‘filhos’ can refer to both sons and daughters, and the phrase works for any parent regardless of gender.