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What is the number 5 in Swahili?

Tano is five.

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  1. Tatu
  2. Tano ✔
  3. Tisa

Why: Count one to ten: moja, mbili, tatu, nne, tano, sita, saba, nane, tisa, kumi. Tatu is 3 and tisa is 9, so tano sits right in the middle.

Huh, didn't know that: Nne (4) is the only number from one to ten that starts with a double n.

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Give me tano! That's a Swahili high five.
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References

Answer: Tano. Count one to ten: moja, mbili, tatu, nne, tano, sita, saba, nane, tisa, kumi. Tatu is 3 and tisa is 9, so tano sits right in the middle.

  1. Northwestern University, Elementary Swahili: Nominal Numbers nulib-oer.github.io/swahili/topics/numbers
    tano 5 sita 6
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  2. Baylor University, Elementary Swahili I: Nambari openbooks.library.baylor.edu/elementaryswahili1/chapter/lesson-1-nambari
    Moja, mbili, tatu, nne, tano, sita, saba, nane, tisa na kumi!
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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