Tabia mbovu huleta huzuni.

Because that is the normal pattern in Swahili. Descriptive adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• tabia = behavior / character
• mbovu = bad / corrupt / faulty

Literally, the order is behavior bad, even though natural English puts the adjective first.

The basic adjective stem is -bovu. Swahili adjectives often take a class agreement prefix, and tabia belongs to noun class 9/10.

For this class, the adjective often takes an N- prefix. Before b, that nasal changes to m, so:

• N- + -bovu → mbovu

That is why you get tabia mbovu, not tabia bovu.

Tabia can mean several related things, depending on context:

• behavior
• character
• conduct
• habit

In this sentence, it most naturally means bad behavior or bad character/conduct.

Huleta comes from the verb kuleta, which means:

• to bring
• to cause
• to lead to

So in this sentence, huleta can be understood as brings, causes, or leads to.

Here, hu- marks a habitual or general action. It is often used for:

• general truths
• repeated actions
• proverbs
• statements about what usually happens

So tabia mbovu huleta huzuni does not sound like one specific event happening right now. It sounds like a general truth: bad behavior tends to bring sadness.

In the habitual hu- form, Swahili normally does not use the usual subject prefix such as:

• ni-
• u-
• a-
• i-
• zi-

So instead of something like a regular present-tense agreement form, you simply get huleta.

The subject is already clear from the noun phrase before the verb:

• tabia mbovu = the subject
• huleta = the verb
• huzuni = the thing brought/caused

A common alternative would be:

Tabia mbovu inaleta huzuni.

Here, inaleta uses the normal present tense pattern with the class 9 subject marker i-.

The difference is roughly:

• huleta = generally brings / usually brings
• inaleta = brings / is bringing

So huleta sounds more proverb-like or timeless.

No.

• In huleta, hu- is a verb marker showing habitual/general action.
• In huzuni, hu- is just part of the noun itself.

So you should learn huzuni as a whole word meaning sadness, sorrow, or grief.

Swahili does not use articles like English a/an and the.

So tabia mbovu could mean:

• bad behavior
• the bad behavior
• sometimes a bad habit/trait

The exact meaning depends on context.

Tabia is one of those nouns whose form is often the same in both singular and plural.

So depending on context, it can refer to:

• a behavior/trait
• behavior in general
• behaviors/habits

In this sentence, it is best understood as a general idea: bad behavior.

Yes, you could.

• mbaya = bad, evil, unpleasant
• mbovu = bad, rotten, corrupt, defective, harmful

With tabia, both are possible, but mbovu can sound a bit stronger or more morally damaged/corrupt, depending on context.

So:

• tabia mbaya = bad behavior / bad character
• tabia mbovu = bad or corrupt behavior / harmful character

A helpful rough guide is:

• ta-BI-a
• m-BO-vu
• hu-LE-ta
• hu-ZU-ni

A few pronunciation notes:

• In mbovu, pronounce mb together; the m is not silent.
• Swahili vowels are usually very consistent:
  • a as in father
  • e as in bet or a clean eh
  • i as in machine
  • o as in more without much glide
  • u as in flute
• Stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable.

The structure is:

• tabia mbovu = noun phrase / subject
• huleta = verb
• huzuni = object

So it is a straightforward Subject + Verb + Object sentence:

Tabia mbovu + huleta + huzuni.