20 in Roman Numerals
20 is written as XX in Roman numerals.
How XX is built
Roman numerals are written one place value at a time, largest first. 20 splits into 20 (tens), and each piece becomes its own group of symbols:
| Symbol | Value | Running total | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| X | 10 | 10 | |
| X | 10 | 20 |
Read left to right, the symbols add up: 10 + 10 = 20. XX needs no subtractive pairs: every symbol in it is simply added, because no place value of 20 is a 4 or a 9.
The symbol X (10) is the largest one used to build XX -- it also shows up in 81 other numbers between 1 and 100.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 20 in Roman numerals?
20 in Roman numerals is XX. It is built from 2 symbol groups: X (10), X (10).
How do you write XX as a number?
Add the symbol values left to right, subtracting whenever a smaller symbol sits before a larger one: 10 + 10 = 20.
Does XX use subtractive notation?
No. None of the place values of 20 is a 4 or a 9, so every symbol in XX is simply added.
What comes before and after 20 in Roman numerals?
19 is XIX and 21 is XXI. Counting up in Roman numerals changes only the lowest place until it rolls over, the same way decimal digits do.
How long is XX compared to other numbers near 20?
XX is 2 characters long. Roman numerals don't get longer in a straight line with the number they represent -- XIX (19) is 3 characters and XXI (21) is 3 characters, because each number is rebuilt from scratch out of the largest symbols that fit, not incremented digit by digit.
More Number Conversions
- Roman Numeral Converter (convert any number)
- Factors of 20
Nearby numbers
18 is XVIII, 19 is XIX, 21 is XXI, 22 is XXII.
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