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Roman Numeral Converter

Convert any number from 1 to 3,999 into Roman numerals with each place value shown, plus charts of 1–100, hundreds, thousands and famous years like MCMXCIV.

Roman Numeral Converter: with the default inputs, result is MCMXCIV.

Try an example
Result
MCMXCIV
Value
1,994
Roman numeral
MCMXCIV
Breakdown
M (1,000) + CM (900) + XC (90) + IV (4)
Additive form (clock-face style)
MDCCCCLXXXXIIII
Number of letters
7
Assumptions
  • Standard modern subtractive notation; range 1–3,999.
1 to 20, tens, hundreds and thousands
NumberRomanNumberRoman
1I10X
2II20XX
3III30XXX
4IV40XL
5V50L
6VI60LX
7VII70LXX
8VIII80LXXX
9IX90XC
10X100C
11XI200CC
12XII300CCC
13XIII400CD
14XIV500D
15XV600DC
16XVI700DCC
17XVII800DCCC
18XVIII900CM
19XIX1,000M
20XX2,000MM
Years in Roman numerals
YearRoman
1,066MLXVI
1,492MCDXCII
1,776MDCCLXXVI
1,789MDCCLXXXIX
1,865MDCCCLXV
1,914MCMXIV
1,945MCMXLV
1,969MCMLXIX
1,994MCMXCIV
2,000MM
2,020MMXX
2,024MMXXIV
2,025MMXXV
2,026MMXXVI
2,030MMXXX
The seven symbols
SymbolValue
I1
V5
X10
L50
C100
D500
M1,000
Math verified by automated testsUpdated 2026-09-081 source cited

How this is worked out

The formula

I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1,000
Write each decimal place separately (thousands, hundreds, tens, ones) and join them.
Subtractive pairs: IV = 4, IX = 9, XL = 40, XC = 90, CD = 400, CM = 900.
A symbol repeats at most three times; V, L and D never repeat.

Open How it’s calculated above to see this worked through with your own numbers.

What you enter

Which way?
Choose one of 2 options.Number → Roman numeral · Roman numeral → number
Number
Standard Roman numerals cover 1 to 3,999. Used when converting a number.from 1 to 3999 · whole numbers only · defaults to 1994
Roman numeral
Used when converting a numeral. Case does not matter.up to 15 characters · defaults to "MCMXCIV"

What you get back

Resultmain answer
Value
Roman numeral
Breakdown
Additive form (clock-face style)
Older style without subtraction, e.g. IIII for 4.
Number of letters

What this assumes

  • Standard modern subtractive notation; range 1–3,999.

About this calculator

Enter a number from 1 to 3,999 and get its Roman numeral with the place-by-place construction shown. 1994 becomes M (1,000) + CM (900) + XC (90) + IV (4) = MCMXCIV — the famous example, because it uses every subtractive pair.

How the system works

Seven letters carry the values I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500) and M (1,000). Numbers are built by writing the thousands, hundreds, tens and ones separately and reading left to right:

  • Ones: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX
  • Tens: X, XX, XXX, XL, L, LX, LXX, LXXX, XC
  • Hundreds: C, CC, CCC, CD, D, DC, DCC, DCCC, CM
  • Thousands: M, MM, MMM

The subtractive rule — a smaller symbol before a larger one is subtracted — applies only to six pairs: IV, IX, XL, XC, CD, CM. You can't write 99 as IC; it's XCIX (90 + 9). And no symbol repeats more than three times, so 4 is IV, not IIII.

Reading a numeral

Scan left to right, adding each symbol's value, except when a symbol is smaller than the one after it — then subtract it. MCMXCIV: M (+1000), C before M (−100), M (+1000), X before C (−10), C (+100), I before V (−1), V (+5) = 1994.

Where they turn up

Copyright dates in film credits (MCMXCIV was a common sight), Super Bowl numbers (LIX was played in 2025; Super Bowl 50 famously dropped the numerals to avoid "L"), monarchs and popes (Elizabeth II, Pius XII), book front matter and outlines, clock faces, and building cornerstones.

Clock faces and the additive form

Many clocks show 4 as IIII rather than IV. Explanations range from visual balance against VIII on the opposite side to a tradition dating to Louis XIV. The converter shows this additive form alongside the standard one.

Beyond 3,999

Classical Latin had no standard way to write larger numbers; medieval scribes drew a bar (vinculum) over a numeral to multiply it by 1,000, so V̄ is 5,000. Since conventions vary, this converter stops at MMMCMXCIX (3,999).

Frequently asked questions

What is 2024 in Roman numerals?

MMXXIV: MM (2,000) + XX (20) + IV (4). 2025 is MMXXV and 2026 is MMXXVI.

What does MCMXCIV mean?
  1. M = 1,000, CM = 900, XC = 90, IV = 4. It's often used as an example because it contains every subtractive pair except IX.
Why is 4 written IV and not IIII?

Standard modern usage caps repetition at three and uses the subtractive form IV. The additive IIII is an older style that survives mainly on clock faces.

How do I write 99 in Roman numerals?

XCIX (90 + 9). IC is not valid because subtraction only pairs a symbol with the next one or two higher values: I can precede only V and X.

How do you write 0 or 4,000 in Roman numerals?

You don't — the system has no zero, and the standard forms stop at 3,999 (MMMCMXCIX). Larger numbers use a bar over the numeral to multiply by 1,000, a convention this converter doesn't cover.

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