Convert Numbers to Roman Numerals

We see Roman numerals everywhere – clocks, musical chords, historical dates, legal documents, astronomy, and even the names of football teams. But what are they, where do they come from, and how do they work?

The Roman numeral system represents numerical values with letters of the Latin alphabet. You can look at the chart below to see how they correlate.

The Roman numeral system originated in Ancient Rome and was used throughout most of Europe until the Middle Ages. It was primarily used for counting, so it doesn’t have a representation for negative numbers (since they can’t be used to describe a discrete quantity of objects); nor does it have a symbol for zero, as regular people hadn’t yet thought about these concepts.

If you are in a hurry and just need to convert a number to Roman numerals, the Roman numeral converter is perfect. Here’s how to use it:

1. Enter the number you want to convert to Roman numerals. Since Roman numerals cannot represent fractions, zero, negative numbers, or numbers higher than 3,999,999, the Roman numeral generator will reject such inputs.

2. The Roman numeral calculator will determine the equivalent Roman numeral for your number and display it below.

3. If your number has a complex Roman numeral, we will also break it down with an explanation.

If you still want to learn how to read Roman numerals better than even our Roman numeral converter, keep reading!

As we mentioned above, Roman numerals use letters from the alphabet to represent numerical values. In the chart below, we can see which letter corresponds to which value.

Additionally, if a Roman numeral is crossed out, its value is multiplied by 1,000. For example, V means 5,000. This extension of the Roman numeral system was not widely adopted, and other methods were used in competing systems, but adding the top line generally conveys the correct representation for the knowledgeable modern audience.

The numbers on the chart above are just building blocks. You can combine them to create any whole number you can think of — within the limits we’ve set, of course. Let’s see how it’s done!

Our everyday system of Arabic numerals uses a positional system, meaning the position of a digit in a number determines its value. For example, the digit "2" represents the value 2 in the number 42, whereas it represents 20 in the number 123.

In contrast, all Roman numerals have fixed values. V always means 5, and M always means 1000, regardless of where they are placed in the string of Roman numerals. Instead, numbers must be combined to represent intermediate values through addition and subtraction:

• When two numerals are next to each other, and the first one has equal or greater value than the second, their values are added together.

  • I (1) combines with itself to form II (2).

  • V (5) and I (1) combine to form VI (6).

  • C (100) and three X’s (each 10) combine to make CXXX (130).

• When the first letter of the pair has a smaller value than the second, the first is subtracted from the second.

  • I (1) and V (5) combine to form IV (4).

  • X (10) and C (100) combine to form XC (90).

Here are a few simple numbers converted to Roman numerals from 1 to 1000 so you can sink your teeth into them — see if you can understand them!

This pattern holds for larger numbers as well. 2,000 – MM; 3,000 – MMM; 4,000 – MV, and so on.

I hear you asking: how do I convert a more complex number into Roman numerals? For example, what is 2021 in Roman numerals? Keep reading to find out!

If we want to convert a number with more than one significant digit (like 365 or 2021), we can use a simple formula:

• Express the number as the sum of its place values.

  • 365 = 300 + 60 + 5;
  • 2021 = 2,000 + 20 + 1 (note that we ignore the zero between the two twos!)

• Convert each value in the sum to its Roman numeral. With the chart above, this is easy!

  • For 365:
    • 300 → CCC
    • 60 → LX
    • 5 → V
  • For 2021:
    • 2,000 → MM
    • 20 → XX
    • 1 → I

• Combine the symbols to convert the number to Roman numerals.

  • 365 → CCC·LX·V → CCCLXV
  • 2021 → MM·XX·I → MMXXI

If you’re still having trouble understanding the numeral system of our Roman ancestors, play with our Roman numeral calculator for X minutes, and it will help!

4 – IV in Roman numerals. It consists of I and V, Roman numerals representing 1 and 5. Since I is placed before V, we subtract it, and thus IV = 5 – 1 = 4.

Roman numerals: I, V, X, L, C, D, and M. Each of these Roman numerals from 1 to 1000 represents a numerical value. Here’s what each represents, as shown in the table below:

XI is the Roman numeral for 11, as it consists of X (10) and I (1) added together. The Roman numeral XI is commonly used in football, where the term "starting XI" refers to the eleven players who will be on the field at the start of the match.

The Roman numeral LV represents the number 55. In 2021, the NFL held its 55th annual Super Bowl and designated it as LV. They’ve been doing this since the 70s.

19 in Roman numerals is XIX. We can break down 19 into the sum of 10 + 9. In Roman numerals, 10 is X, and 9 is IX (10 - 1), so together, 19 is XIX.

XXXVII is the Roman numeral for 37. It consists of

1. XXX (30);
2. V (5); and
3. II (2),

which add up together to give 30 + 5 + 2 = 37. This specific Roman numeral XXXVII usually refers to the colossal Super Bowl match that took place in early 2003.

1980 in Roman numerals is MCMLXXX. It is constructed from

1. M (1000);
2. CM (900); and
3. LXXX (80).

1984 in Roman numerals is MCMLXXXIV. It is constructed from

1. M (1000);
2. CM (900);
3. LXXX (80); and
4. IV (4).