WorkedMathGlossary

Roman Numeral Converter

Convert any number from 1 to 3999 into Roman numerals, or convert a Roman numeral back into a number.

Roman Numeral
MMXXVI

How Roman Numerals Work

Roman numerals build every number from seven symbols: I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500), and M (1000). Symbols are added left to right in decreasing value, except when a smaller symbol comes before a larger one, which means subtract instead of add.

Worked example

Convert 1994 to Roman numerals.

1994 = 1000 + 900 + 90 + 4

1000 = M, 900 = CM, 90 = XC, 4 = IV

1994 = MCMXCIV

Popular Numbers

Browse All Numbers

Every one of these links to its own page with the Roman numeral already worked out.

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364656667686970717273747576777879808182838485868788899091929394959697989910020030040050060070080090010001500200020202021202220232024202520262027202820292030

Keep going

  • For a quick lookup, the table shows the Roman numeral for every number from 1 to 100, plus round numbers and recent years. Roman numerals table
  • Roman numerals and binary are both non-decimal ways to write a number; the binary calculator converts the same kind of number into base 2 instead of Roman symbols. Binary Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the basic Roman numeral symbols?

I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1000. Every other number is built by combining these.

Why is 4 written as IV instead of IIII?

Roman numerals use a subtractive rule: a smaller symbol placed before a larger one is subtracted rather than added. IV means 5 − 1 = 4. Writing IIII (four I's in a row) works arithmetically but isn't the standard modern form, which limits a symbol to appearing no more than three times in a row.

What's the largest number you can write in standard Roman numerals?

3999, written MMMCMXCIX. Standard notation caps at three repetitions of M (3000), and there's no single symbol for anything larger without extending the system (historically done with a bar, called a vinculum, over a numeral to multiply it by 1000).

Is there a Roman numeral for zero?

No. The Romans didn't have a symbol for zero in this system — it wasn't needed for the counting and record-keeping the numerals were built for.

Related Calculators

View all calculators →

Related Terms