Mtoto jasiri haogopi kujaribu tena baada ya kosa.

In Swahili, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• mtoto jasiri = brave child
• literally, it is child brave

This is a normal Swahili word order pattern, unlike English, where adjectives usually come before the noun.

Mtoto means child and belongs to the M-WA noun class for people.

Its singular/plural forms are:

• mtoto = child
• watoto = children

This matters because noun class affects agreement in other parts of the sentence, especially verbs and some adjectives.

Haogopi is the negative present form of the verb -ogopa (to fear / to be afraid).

Compare:

• anaogopa = he/she is afraid
• haogopi = he/she is not afraid

A useful thing to notice is:

1. In the negative present for he/she, Swahili often uses ha-
2. The final -a of the verb changes to -i

So:

• -ogopa → haogopi

This is a very common negative pattern in Swahili.

Yes. Swahili often packs a lot of information into one verb word.

Haogopi includes:

• ha- = negative marker for he/she
• -ogop- = verb root meaning fear
• -i = negative final vowel

So instead of using separate words like English does, Swahili builds the meaning directly into the verb form.

Kujaribu is the infinitive form of the verb -jaribu, meaning to try.

The prefix ku- is the normal infinitive marker in Swahili, like to in English.

Examples:

• jaribu = try! (command)
• kujaribu = to try

In this sentence, haogopi kujaribu means is not afraid to try.

Tena means again.

In this sentence:

• kujaribu tena = to try again

It usually comes after the verb or verbal idea it modifies. That placement is very natural in Swahili.

Examples:

• Nitakuja tena = I will come again
• Jaribu tena = Try again

Baada ya means after.

It is a very common fixed expression in Swahili. You can think of it as a set phrase that introduces what comes next:

• baada ya kazi = after work
• baada ya chakula = after food / after the meal
• baada ya kosa = after a mistake

So even though English uses the single word after, Swahili normally uses the phrase baada ya.

Swahili does not have articles like a, an, or the.

So:

• kosa can mean a mistake, the mistake, or just mistake, depending on context.

Learners often want to insert an article because English requires one, but Swahili usually does not.

In this case, jasiri stays the same.

So you can say:

• mtoto jasiri = brave child
• watoto jasiri = brave children

Some Swahili adjectives do change to match noun class, but jasiri often remains unchanged. That is one reason learners may find it easier than adjectives like -zuri or -kubwa, which show agreement patterns more clearly.

Yes, but the verb would need to agree with the plural subject.

Singular:

• Mtoto jasiri haogopi kujaribu tena baada ya kosa.
• A brave child is not afraid to try again after a mistake.

Plural:

• Watoto jasiri hawaogopi kujaribu tena baada ya kosa.
• Brave children are not afraid to try again after a mistake.

Notice the change:

• haogopi = he/she is not afraid
• hawaogopi = they are not afraid

Because Swahili usually does not need a separate verb like is in the same way English does.

In English, we say:

• The child is brave
• The child is not afraid

In Swahili:

• Mtoto jasiri already means the child is brave / a brave child, depending on context
• haogopi already contains the verbal meaning is not afraid

So Swahili often expresses ideas that need several English words by using noun-adjective order or a single inflected verb.

The dictionary form is -ogopa, meaning to fear or to be afraid.

In dictionaries, Swahili verbs are often listed without the infinitive prefix ku-:

• -ogopa = fear, be afraid
• kuogopa = to fear, to be afraid

That helps learners recognize the root across different forms, such as:

• anaogopa = he/she is afraid
• haogopi = he/she is not afraid
• usiogope = don’t be afraid

A helpful rough breakdown is:

• Mtoto = child
• jasiri = brave
• haogopi = is not afraid
• kujaribu = to try
• tena = again
• baada ya = after
• kosa = mistake

So the structure is roughly:

• child brave not-is-afraid to-try again after mistake

This kind of breakdown can help you see how Swahili builds meaning, even when the natural English translation is smoother.