Roman Numerals Converter
Instantly convert numbers to Roman numerals and Roman numerals to numbers with step-by-step breakdown calculation, interactive charts, and date translation.
Supports 1 to 3,999 (Standard) & up to 3,999,999 (Vinculum / Overline)
Standard is the universal modern format used in clocks, dates, and media.
Conversion Result
Verified Classical NotationRoman Numeral
2,026 = 2000 (MM) + 20 (XX) + 6 (VI)
Step-by-Step Breakdown Calculation
Detailed trace showing how each Roman symbol subtracts value from the running total.
| Step | Place / Component | Roman Symbol | Value | Remaining Total |
|---|
Roman Numerals Chart & Reference Table
Explore, filter, and search Roman numerals from 1 to 1,000 and landmark milestone years.
The Seven Basic Roman Numeral Symbols
The classical Roman numeral system is built on seven fundamental Latin alphabet characters. Unlike the modern decimal place-value system (which uses position to denote powers of 10), Roman numerals combine these base letters additively and subtractively:
| Roman Symbol | Arabic Value | Latin Root / Origin | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | Single finger or tally mark (Unus) | III = 3, IV = 4, VI = 6 |
| V | 5 | Hand open with thumb out (Quinque) | V = 5, VII = 7, XV = 15 |
| X | 10 | Two crossed hands or double V (Decem) | X = 10, XX = 20, XL = 40 |
| L | 50 | Half of 100 glyph (Quinquaginta) | L = 50, LX = 60, LXX = 70 |
| C | 100 | Centum (Latin for one hundred) | C = 100, CC = 200, CD = 400 |
| D | 500 | Half of original Greek phi glyph ↀ (Quingenti) | D = 500, DC = 600, CM = 900 |
| M | 1,000 | Mille (Latin for one thousand) | M = 1000, MM = 2000, MMXXVI = 2026 |
Core Rules for Reading & Writing Roman Numerals
1. The Additive Principle
When a symbol is placed after another symbol of equal or larger value, their values are added together.
LXX = 50 + 10 + 10 = 70
CL = 100 + 50 = 150
2. The Subtractive Principle
When a smaller symbol precedes a larger symbol, the smaller value is subtracted from the larger value. There are exactly 6 valid subtractive pairs:
XL = 40 (50 - 10) • XC = 90 (100 - 10)
CD = 400 (500 - 100) • CM = 900 (1000 - 100)
3. Repetition Limits
Only powers of 10 (I, X, C, M) can be repeated up to a maximum of three times in succession (e.g. III = 3, XXX = 30, CCC = 300, MMM = 3000). The symbols V, L, and D are never repeated (10 is written as X, not VV; 100 is C, not LL).
4. Vinculum (Overline) for Large Numbers
To represent numbers greater than 3,999 without violating the 3-repetition rule, classical mathematicians placed a horizontal bar (vinculum) over a numeral to multiply its value by 1,000.
C̄ = 100,000 • D̄ = 500,000 • M̄ = 1,000,000
🧮 How to Convert Any Number to Roman Numerals Step-by-Step
To manually calculate Roman numerals from an Arabic number, decompose the number into thousands, hundreds, tens, and units places, then translate each place value using the lookup table:
Example: Convert 1,994 (MCMXCIV)
1. Thousands place: 1000 = M
2. Hundreds place: 900 = CM (1000 − 100)
3. Tens place: 90 = XC (100 − 10)
4. Units place: 4 = IV (5 − 1)
Combine: M + CM + XC + IV = MCMXCIV
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