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Roman Numerals Converter

Type a number or a Roman numeral — the converter translates live in both directions, shows the breakdown step by step and explains why a numeral like IIII or IC is wrong.

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Result

MMXXVI

equals 2,026 · 6 symbols

Step-by-step breakdown

A Roman numeral is read from left to right and the values of its building blocks are added:

M1,000
M1,000
X10
X10
V5
I1

MMXXVI = 1,000 + 1,000 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 2,026

By place value

Thousands

2,000

MM

Hundreds

0

—

Tens

20

XX

Ones

6

VI

Which symbols does it contain?

The Roman numeral symbols

Seven letters are enough for every number up to 3,999. With an overline they become thousands.

SymbolValueWith overline
I1I = 1,000
V5V = 5,000
X10X = 10,000
L50L = 50,000
C100C = 100,000
D500D = 500,000
M1,000M = 1,000,000

The subtraction rule

Normally the values are added from left to right (VI = 5 + 1). If a smaller symbol stands before a larger one, it is subtracted (IV = 5 − 1). Fixed rules apply:

  • Only I, X and C may be subtracted — never V, L or D.
  • I only precedes V and X, X only precedes L and C, C only precedes D and M.
  • Only one single symbol is ever subtracted: 8 is VIII, not IIX.
  • At most three identical symbols stand in a row: 4 is IV, not IIII.

The six permitted pairs

IV4
IX9
XL40
XC90
CD400
CM900

Chart: Roman numerals from 1 to 100

Tap a number to open it in the converter.

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Guide: Roman Numerals

Rules, years and the most common mistakes explained clearly

Reading and Writing Roman Numerals: All the Rules Explained SimplyFeatured

Reading and Writing Roman Numerals: All the Rules Explained Simply

The seven symbols, the addition and subtraction rules, large numbers with an overline and the typical mistakes: the complete guide to Roman numerals with many examples.

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Years in Roman Numerals: From MCMXC to MMXXVI

Years in Roman Numerals: From MCMXC to MMXXVI

Birth year, wedding date or year of construction: how to write years correctly in Roman numerals — with a step-by-step method and examples for important years.

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Roman Numerals 1 to 1000: Chart and Building-Block Method

Roman Numerals 1 to 1000: Chart and Building-Block Method

Ones, tens, hundreds: with three small charts you can form any Roman numeral up to 1000 yourself. With examples, frequently searched numbers and typical mistakes.

2026-09-245 min read
Birth Date in Roman Numerals: Getting Your Tattoo Right

Birth Date in Roman Numerals: Getting Your Tattoo Right

Translating day, month and year correctly, choosing separators and avoiding typical mistakes: what to watch out for with a date in Roman numerals as a tattoo or engraving.

2026-09-245 min read
Roman Numerals on Clocks: Why IIII Instead of IV?

Roman Numerals on Clocks: Why IIII Instead of IV?

Many clock faces show IIII instead of IV. The reasons range from Roman writing practice to visual balance and legends, plus how to read the time with confidence.

2026-09-245 min read

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Frequently Asked Questions

Split the number into thousands, hundreds, tens and ones and translate each place separately. 2026 consists of 2000 + 20 + 6, i.e. MM + XX + VI = MMXXVI. For 4 and 9 in any place use the subtractive pairs: 4 = IV, 9 = IX, 40 = XL, 90 = XC, 400 = CD, 900 = CM. Our converter shows this breakdown automatically for every number.

MMXXVI stands for 2026: M + M = 2000, X + X = 20, V + I = 6. All symbols are in descending order, so they are simply added. The previous year 2025 is MMXXV, the coming year 2027 is MMXXVII.

According to today's standard notation, at most three identical symbols may stand in a row. For 4 the subtraction rule is used instead: I before V means 5 − 1 = 4. You still often see IIII on clock faces — that is a design tradition, not a rule of arithmetic. The Romans themselves did not always write consistently either.

Subtraction is only allowed from the next or next-but-one larger symbol: I only from V and X, X only from L and C, C only from D and M. IC skips too many steps. 99 is therefore written place by place: 90 = XC and 9 = IX, together XCIX. Likewise, 49 is not IL but XLIX.

With the seven basic symbols the limit is 3,999 (MMMCMXCIX), because M may appear at most three times in a row. For larger numbers there is the overline (vinculum): a bar over a symbol multiplies its value by 1,000. So V̅ becomes 5,000 and M̅ one million. This extends the notation to 3,999,999 — our converter handles both variants.

No. The Roman numeral system is not a positional system and works without zero. Where medieval scholars needed a zero, for example in tables, they wrote the Latin word "nulla" or the abbreviation N. Negative numbers and decimals do not exist in the classical notation either; the Romans calculated fractions with their own symbols in twelfths.

Enter your birth year in the year shortcuts above. By hand it works like this: 1987 = 1000 + 900 + 80 + 7 = M + CM + LXXX + VII = MCMLXXXVII. Years from 2000 onwards always begin with MM: 2003 = MMIII, 2015 = MMXV. For tattoos, engravings and invitations a second check with the converter is worth it, because one swapped symbol changes the number.

Frequently for rulers and popes (Louis XIV), for years on buildings, monuments and in film credits, for chapter and volume numbers, on clock faces and for major events that are numbered consecutively. In medicine, cranial nerves are labelled with Roman numerals, in chemistry oxidation states, and in music the degrees of the scale.