Mimi nitajaribu kuzungumza Kiswahili hata kama ninakosea kidogo.

I will try to speak Swahili even if I make small mistakes.

Breakdown of Mimi nitajaribu kuzungumza Kiswahili hata kama ninakosea kidogo.

• mimi: I
• kujaribu: to try
• kidogo: a little
• hata kama: even if
• Kiswahili: Swahili
• kuzungumza: to speak
• kukosea: to make a mistake

Questions & Answers about Mimi nitajaribu kuzungumza Kiswahili hata kama ninakosea kidogo.

Why do we need both Mimi and the ni- in nitajaribu? Aren’t they both saying I?

In Swahili, the subject is already built into the verb using a subject prefix, so:

• ni- = I
• ta = future
• jaribu = try

So nitajaribu literally has I inside it already.

Adding Mimi is optional and is used for:

• emphasis:
  
  • Mimi nitajaribu… = I will try (even if others don’t)
• clarity or focus in contrast:
  
  • Wao wataongea Kiingereza, lakini mimi nitajaribu kuzungumza Kiswahili.
    They will speak English, but I will try to speak Swahili.

Without Mimi, Nitajaribu kuzungumza Kiswahili is still a complete and normal sentence.

How is nitajaribu formed, exactly? Is it one word or two?

Nitajaribu is one word, made of three parts:

• ni- = subject prefix for I
• -ta- = future tense marker
• jaribu = verb stem try

So:

ni + ta + jaribu → nitajaribu
I + future + try → I will try / I’m going to try

You do not separate ta as a separate word.
❌ ni ta jaribu – incorrect spelling
✅ nitajaribu – correct

Why is it nitajaribu kuzungumza instead of something like nitajaribu nizungumze?

After jaribu (to try), Swahili normally uses the infinitive form of a verb: ku- + verb.

• kuzungumza = to speak / to talk
• nitajaribu kuzungumza = I will try to speak.

Using a subjunctive like nizungumze here would sound odd. The natural pattern is:

• nitajaribu ku-… (I will try to …)
• tulijaribu kuondoka mapema (we tried to leave early)
• jaribu kusoma sentensi hii (try to read this sentence)

What’s the difference between kuzungumza, kuongea, and kusema?

All three relate to speaking, but with slightly different typical uses:

• kuzungumza

  • to talk, converse, speak (often more general/formal)
  • kuzungumza Kiswahili = to speak Swahili

• kuongea

  • to talk, chat, speak (often more informal / conversational)
  • kuongea na rafiki = to talk with a friend

• kusema

  • to say, to state
  • alisema nini? = what did he/she say?

In this sentence, kuzungumza Kiswahili is very natural. kuongea Kiswahili is also common in everyday speech. kusema Kiswahili is possible but less typical in this particular meaning.

Why is it Kiswahili and not just Swahili? What does the Ki- mean?

Swahili uses noun classes, and many languages and styles of speech take the Ki- prefix (class 7).

• Mswahili = a Swahili person
• Waswahili = Swahili people
• Kiswahili = the Swahili language

So:

• Kiswahili literally = the Swahili language
• When English says Swahili (the language), Swahili itself usually says Kiswahili.

The capital K is like capitalizing English, French, etc. Some writers don’t capitalize it, but Kiswahili with a capital K is common and acceptable.

What does hata kama mean exactly, and can it be split into two separate ideas?

hata kama functions as one expression meaning:

• even if, even though, even when

Broken down:

• hata = even
• kama = if / like / as

Together: hata kama ninakosea kidogo = even if I make a few/small mistakes.

You normally keep hata kama together as a unit starting a clause:

• Nitajaribu…, hata kama ni ngumu.
• Atakuja, hata kama anachelewa.

Why does the sentence use ninakosea (present tense) instead of a future form like nitakosea?

In Swahili, the present tense with -na- can cover:

• present ongoing
• general/habitual
• “whenever / if it happens” idea

So hata kama ninakosea kidogo means something like:

• even if I (do) make small mistakes
• even though I might make small mistakes (whenever I speak)

If you said hata kama nitakosea kidogo, it would sound more like:

• even if I will make mistakes (at that future time)

It’s not wrong, but it’s less idiomatic for this general, open-ended idea of making some mistakes (whenever I speak Swahili). Ninakosea sounds more natural here.

How is ninakosea built, and what does each part mean?

Ninakosea has three parts:

• ni- = I (subject prefix)
• -na- = present tense marker
• kosea = to be wrong / to make a mistake

So:

ni + na + kosea → ninakosea
I + present + err → I make a mistake / I’m making a mistake

This can mean:

• I’m making a mistake (right now)
• I (generally) make mistakes – depending on context

What does kidogo add here? Why put it after ninakosea?

kidogo means a little, a bit, a few, slightly.

In this sentence:

• ninakosea kidogo ≈ I make a few small mistakes / I’m wrong a little

It does two things:

1. Quantifies / limits how big the mistakes are: not a lot, just a bit.
2. Softens the statement, making it less negative and more modest.

Placement:

• It naturally comes after the verb phrase:
  • ninakosea kidogo
  • amechelewa kidogo (he/she is a bit late)
  • naelewa kidogo (I understand a little)

You generally don’t put kidogo before the verb in this kind of sentence.

Can I drop Mimi and hata kama and still have a correct sentence?

Yes, you can drop some parts and still be grammatical, but the nuance changes.

1. Dropping Mimi:

   • Nitajaribu kuzungumza Kiswahili hata kama ninakosea kidogo.
     Still fully correct and very natural. Slightly less emphasis on I.

2. Dropping hata kama:

   • Nitajaribu kuzungumza Kiswahili, ninakosea kidogo.
     Grammatically okay, but now you have two separate statements:
   • I will try to speak Swahili, I make a few mistakes.
     You lose the “even if” / “even though” relationship between them.

To keep the same meaning, you should keep hata kama (or use another connector like ingawa), for example:

• Nitajaribu kuzungumza Kiswahili ingawa ninakosea kidogo.
  …although I make a few mistakes.