-tano

Five with -tano

Level 1

In Swahili, the word for 'five' is -tano. Because it is a native Bantu word, it cannot stand alone when counting nouns; it must take a prefix that matches the noun class of the things you are counting.

How It Works

When counting items, -tano functions as a numeral adjective and always follows the noun it modifies. You must look at the plural noun class to determine the correct prefix. However, remember the animacy rule: all humans and animals take Class 2 (wa-) agreement, regardless of their inherent noun class.

Common Class Agreements:

Compound Numbers:
When forming compound numbers like 15 or 25, strict traditional grammar requires the final digit to take the agreement prefix of the noun if it is a declinable number (like 1 through 5). For example, '15 people' is traditionally watu kumi na watano. However, leaving the final number uninflected (watu kumi na tano) is widely accepted and common in modern usage, though strict formal contexts and academic rubrics may still prefer the inflected form. (Note: While traditionally declinable, the number 8, nane, is increasingly treated as invariable in modern Swahili).

Ordinal Numbers (Fifth):
To say 'fifth', use the associative particle -a (which agrees with the noun) followed by the abstract number tano. For example, mtu wa tano (the fifth person) or kitabu cha tano (the fifth book).

Abstract Counting and Time:
When counting abstractly or doing math, Swahili uses the Class 10 (N- class) form. For this number, it appears as tano because the N- prefix drops before the voiceless consonant 't'. This form is also used for telling time: saa tano means 11:00 (because Swahili time starts counting at dawn, 6:00 AM). To distinguish between AM and PM, add the time of day: saa tano asubuhi (11:00 AM) and saa tano usiku (11:00 PM).

Examples (6)

  1. Nina watoto watano.

    I have five children.

    Word by Word: I have children five.

    Uses the wa- prefix to agree with the Class 2 noun watoto.

  2. Tulinunua vitabu vitano.

    We bought five books.

    Word by Word: We bought books five.

    Uses the vi- prefix to agree with the Class 8 noun vitabu.

  3. Kengele italia kwa dakika tano.

    The bell will ring for five minutes.

    Word by Word: Bell it will ring for minutes five.

    Dakika is a Class 10 noun. The N- prefix drops before 't', leaving the form tano.

  4. Kuna wanafunzi kumi na watano darasani.

    There are fifteen students in the classroom.

    Word by Word: There are students ten and five in classroom.

    In compound numbers like 15, strict traditional grammar requires the final digit to take the agreement prefix (watano). However, the uninflected form kumi na tano is widely accepted and common in modern usage.

  5. Hiki ni kitabu cha tano.

    This is the fifth book.

    Word by Word: This is book of five.

    To form ordinal numbers like 'fifth', use the associative particle (here, cha for Class 7) followed by the abstract number tano.

  6. Tukutane saa tano asubuhi.

    Let's meet at 11:00 AM.

    Word by Word: Let us meet hour five morning.

    Swahili time starts at dawn (6:00 AM), so saa tano is 11:00. Adding asubuhi (morning) specifies AM.

Common Mistakes

  • Failing to add the agreement prefix to -tano.

    Watu tano walifika.
    Watu watano walifika.

    Because -tano is a Bantu number, it must take a prefix matching the noun class (here, wa- for Class 2). Numbers such as sita (6), saba (7), tisa (9) and kumi (10) are used without prefixes.

  • Confusing the cardinal number 'five' with the ordinal number 'fifth'.

    Hiki ni kitabu vitano.
    Hiki ni kitabu cha tano.

    To say 'five books', use the adjectival prefix directly on the stem: vitabu vitano. To say 'the fifth book', use the associative -a followed by the uninflected stem: kitabu cha tano.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-tanoLevel 1Five with -tano

Learn This First

To use the number '-tano' (five), you must understand that it is a variable number that requires an agreement prefix based on the noun class of the object being counted. Therefore, you need to be familiar with the noun class system, the rules for agreement across the sentence, and the fact that these modifiers follow the noun.

Words in This Pattern

tano