Convert any number to Roman numerals, or a Roman numeral back to a number.
Roman numerals combine seven symbols — I=1, V=5, X=10, L=50, C=100, D=500, M=1000. A smaller symbol placed before a larger one subtracts (IV=4, IX=9); placed after, it adds (VI=6, XI=11). Standard notation covers 1 through 3999.
| Symbol | Value |
|---|---|
| I | 1 |
| V | 5 |
| X | 10 |
| L | 50 |
| C | 100 |
| D | 500 |
| M | 1000 |
To write 1994: 1000 (M) + 900 (CM) + 90 (XC) + 4 (IV) = MCMXCIV. Each part is taken from the largest matching value first, working down the symbol list.
Scan the symbols left to right, adding each symbol's value — except when a smaller value comes immediately before a larger one, in which case you subtract it instead. For MCMXCIV: M(1000) + [CM = 1000−100 = 900] + [XC = 100−10 = 90] + [IV = 5−1 = 4] = 1994.
Roman numerals still commonly appear in copyright years on film credits and building cornerstones. A few recent years: 2000 = MM, 2024 = MMXXIV, 2025 = MMXXV. Since there's no zero, each digit place is built from combinations of M, C, X, and I rather than read digit-by-digit the way Arabic numerals are.
What is the largest number standard Roman numerals can show? 3999 (MMMCMXCIX). Beyond that, standard notation runs out of repeatable symbols; larger numbers historically used a bar over a numeral to multiply it by 1000.
Why is 4 written as IV instead of IIII? Modern (subtractive) Roman numeral convention places a smaller symbol before a larger one to mean subtraction, so IV (5−1) is standard, though IIII does appear historically, notably on some clock faces.
Is there a Roman numeral for zero? No — the Roman numeral system has no symbol for zero; it wasn't designed as a positional number system the way Arabic numerals are.
Where are Roman numerals still commonly used today? Clock faces, book chapter and volume numbers, movie copyright years, Super Bowl numbering, and naming monarchs or popes (e.g., Elizabeth II).
How do I convert a Roman numeral back into a regular number? Add each symbol's value from left to right, but subtract a symbol whenever a smaller one precedes a larger one — see the worked reverse-conversion example above.
Can Roman numerals show fractions or negative numbers? Not in the standard system. The ancient Romans had a separate duodecimal (base-12) notation for fractions, but it isn't part of the whole-number system this converter handles.