Dítě má strach z chyby.

A quick breakdown:

• dítě = child

  • the subject of the sentence
  • nominative singular
  • grammatically neuter

• má = has

  • 3rd person singular present of mít (to have)

• strach = fear

  • the thing the child has
  • grammatically the direct object of má

• z = a preposition

  • here it goes with strach in the phrase mít strach z...

• chyby = of a mistake / error

  • this is the form required after z here
  • it is genitive singular of chyba

So the structure is basically:

[subject] + [has] + [fear] + [of what]

Because mít strach z + genitive is a very common Czech way to express fear.

Literally, it is to have fear of..., but in natural English we usually translate it as to be afraid of...

Czech often uses noun-based expressions like this, where English might prefer an adjective or a single verb.

A very common alternative is:

• Dítě se bojí chyby.

That also means the child is afraid of the mistake/error.

So both are natural:

• má strach z... = has fear of...
• bojí se... = is afraid of...

It is accusative singular, because it is the direct object of má.

The useful thing to notice is that with many masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular looks the same as the nominative singular.

So:

• strach = nominative singular
• strach = accusative singular

The form does not change here, even though the case does.

Because the preposition z normally requires the genitive.

The base form is:

• chyba = nominative singular

After z, it becomes:

• z chyby = genitive singular

So:

• z chyba ❌ wrong
• z chybu ❌ wrong
• z chyby ✅ correct

This is something you will see a lot in Czech: the preposition determines the case.

Here it is singular.

Why?

Because:

• singular genitive of chyba = chyby
• plural genitive of chyba = chyb

So in this sentence:

• z chyby = of a mistake / error
• z chyb = of mistakes / errors

It is true that chyby can also be a plural form in other contexts, but after z here, it is understood as genitive singular.

Yes, z often means from or out of.

But in the expression mít strach z něčeho, it means something more like:

• fear of
• fear caused by
• fear about

So this is best learned as a set phrase:

• mít strach z + genitive

Examples:

• Mám strach z psa. = I am afraid of the dog.
• Má strach z tmy. = He/She is afraid of the dark.

So although z often means from, in this pattern you should think of it as part of the idiom.

Because grammatical gender in Czech does not always match natural sex.

The noun dítě is grammatically neuter, no matter whether the child is a boy or a girl.

So Czech says things like:

• to dítě = that child
• malé dítě = a small child

This is normal and does not mean Czech speakers think of a child as an it in the English sense. It is just a grammatical category.

If you want to specify sex, you can use another noun, for example:

• chlapec = boy
• dívka = girl

Because Czech has no articles.

So dítě can mean:

• a child
• the child

And chyby here can correspond to:

• of a mistake
• of the mistake

The exact meaning depends on context.

English requires articles; Czech usually does not.

Yes. Czech word order is quite flexible.

The neutral, straightforward version is:

• Dítě má strach z chyby.

But you could rearrange it for emphasis, for example:

• Z chyby má dítě strach.

That sounds more marked and would usually emphasize z chyby.

So the sentence you were given is the most neutral and natural basic order.

Yes, absolutely.

That is another very common way to express the same idea.

Compare:

• Dítě má strach z chyby.
• Dítě se bojí chyby.

Both are natural. A rough difference:

• má strach z... can feel a bit more like describing a state of fear
• bojí se... is the straightforward verb to be afraid of

In both patterns, the noun after them is governed by the grammar of the expression:

• strach z + genitive
• bát se / bojí se + genitive

So chyby is correct in both sentences.

A few key points:

• Czech word stress is usually on the first syllable of each word:

  • DÍ-tě
  • MÁ
  • STRACH
  • Z CHY-by

• ch is pronounced like the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach, not like English ch in chair.

• dě in dítě is a soft sound; ě changes the pronunciation of the preceding consonant.

• In connected speech, z before the voiceless ch is often pronounced more like s.

So if you are reading carefully, pay special attention to:

• dítě
• strach
• chyby

Those are the parts most English speakers usually need to practice.