Roman Numerals | Definition, Chart and Converter Tool

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Welcome to the amazing world of Roman numerals, where special symbols bring numbers to life in a cool and ancient way! Have you ever wondered about those strange symbols like “V” or “XII”? Well, get ready to find out all about them right here. In this blog, we’ll go on an exciting journey to learn about Roman numerals and how to use them easily. And guess what? We even have a super helpful number converter that can change regular numbers into Roman numerals. So, whether you’re curious or just love solving number puzzles, join us as we uncover the secrets of Roman numerals together. Let’s have some fun exploring this ancient number system!

What is Roman Numbers (Numerals)?

Roman numerals are a way of writing numbers that people used a long time ago in ancient Rome. Instead of using the numbers we use today (like 1, 2, 3, etc.), they used special symbols to represent different values.

Here are the symbols they used and what they mean:

  • I represents the number 1.
  • V represents the number 5.
  • X represents the number 10.
  • L represents the number 50.
  • C represents the number 100.
  • D represents the number 500.
  • M represents the number 1,000.

To write a number in Roman numerals, you use these symbols and combine them together. For example, if you want to write the number 3, you would use the symbol for 1 (I) three times: III.

Roman numerals can be a bit tricky to understand at first, but with practice, you can get the hang of it. They’re still used today in some places, especially for things like clock faces and movie credits.

Number to Roman Numeral Converter

Simply enter a number between 1 and 100,000 to convert it into its Roman numeral equivalent with our user-friendly converter.


Roman Numeral Converter

Number to Roman Numeral Converter


Roman Numbers Chart

NumberRoman Numeral
1I
2II
3III
4IV
5V
6VI
7VII
8VIII
9IX
10X
11XI
12XII
13XIII
14XIV
15XV
16XVI
17XVII
18XVIII
19XIX
20XX
21XXI
30XXX
40XL
50L
60LX
70LXX
80LXXX
90XC
100C
200CC
300CCC
400CD
500D
600DC
700DCC
800DCCC
900CM
1000M
2000MM
3000MMM
4000MMMM
5000V
6000
7000V̅V
8000V̅V̅
9000I̅X
10000
20000X̅X̅
30000X̅X̅X̅
40000X̅L
50000
60000L̅X̅
70000L̅X̅X̅
80000L̅X̅X̅X̅
90000X̅C
100000

Rules of Roman Numerals

  1. Symbols: Roman numerals are special letters that represent numbers. There are seven symbols: I, V, X, L, C, D, and M.
  2. Symbol Values: Each symbol has a value. The symbol I is worth 1, V is worth 5, X is worth 10, L is worth 50, C is worth 100, D is worth 500, and M is worth 1000.
  3. Adding Numbers: When symbols are put together, we add their values. For example, if we have two Is (II), it means 1 + 1 = 2.
  4. Subtracting Numbers: Sometimes, we need to subtract a smaller number from a bigger number. When a smaller symbol comes before a bigger one, we subtract the smaller value. For example, IV means 5 – 1 = 4.
  5. Subtraction Limits: We can only subtract certain numbers. We can subtract I from X or C, and we can subtract X from C or M. But we can’t subtract V, L, or D.
  6. Reading Order: We read Roman numerals from left to right. The bigger symbols come first, and the smaller symbols come after. But if there’s a subtraction, the smaller symbol comes before the bigger one.
  7. Repeating Symbols: We can repeat symbols up to three times in a row. If we need more, we use a special rule called subtraction. For example, instead of writing four Is (IIII), we write IV. And instead of writing nine Is (IIIIIIIII), we write IX.

These are the basic rules for Roman numerals. They help us write and understand numbers in a different way.

Numbers to Roman Numerals examples

Question: Can you show me how to write the number 19 in Roman numbers?

Answer:

  • Start with the symbol “X” for 10.
  • Add the symbol “I” for 1 before and after “X” (10). This gives us “XIX”.

So, 19 in Roman numerals is written as “XIX”.

Question: How can we write the number 42 in Roman numbers?

Answer:

  • Begin with the symbol “X” for 10.
  • Place the symbol “L” for 50 after “X” (10). This represents 40.
  • Add the symbol “I” for 1 twice. This gives us “XLII”.

So, 42 in Roman numerals is written as “XLII”.

Question: How would you write the number 99 in Roman numbers?

Answer:

  • Start with the symbol “X” for 10.
  • Put the symbol “C” for 100 before “X” (10). This means we subtract 10 from 100, giving us 90.
  • Add the symbol “I” for 1 twice. This gives us “XCIX”.

So, 99 in Roman numerals is written as “XCIX”.

Question: How would you write the number 2,365 in Roman numbers?

Answer:

  • 2,000 is represented by the symbol “MM” (two thousand).
  • 300 is represented by the symbol “CCC” (three hundred).
  • 60 is represented by the symbol “LX” (sixty).
  • 5 is represented by the symbol “V” (five).

Combining these symbols, we can write 2,365 in Roman numerals as “MMCCCLXV”.