How do I convert a number into Roman numerals?

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.

What number is MMXXVI?

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.

Why is IIII wrong and IV correct?

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.

Why can't 99 be written as IC?

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.

What is the largest Roman numeral?

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.

Is there a Roman zero?

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.

How do I write my birth year in Roman numerals?

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.

Where are Roman numerals still used today?

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.

Birth Date in Roman Numerals: Getting Your Tattoo Right | Roman Numerals Converter

Your birth date in Roman numerals

A date in Roman numerals is one of the most popular tattoo designs of all. A child's date of birth, a wedding day or a date that marks a fresh start: in Roman numerals it looks timeless and remains a small secret to outsiders. Precisely because a tattoo is permanent, though, care pays off. A single swapped symbol turns the date into a different number or even an invalid one.

Step by step: day, month, year

A date consists of three numbers that you translate separately. Take 23 August 1994:

1. Day: 23 = 20 + 3 = XX + III = XXIII

2. Month: August is the 8th month, so VIII

3. Year: 1994 = 1000 + 900 + 90 + 4 = M + CM + XC + IV = MCMXCIV

Put together, that gives XXIII.VIII.MCMXCIV. You can check each of the three numbers individually in the Roman numerals converter, which also has its own shortcut for your birth year.

The months in Roman numerals

January = I
February = II
March = III
April = IV
May = V
June = VI
July = VII
August = VIII
September = IX
October = X
November = XI
December = XII

There are no leading zeros

In everyday life we often write 05.03.2010. These zeros are simply dropped in Roman numerals, because the Roman system has no zero. 5 March 2010 becomes V.III.MMX. Inventing a symbol for "0" or using the letter O would be a classic mistake.

The right order: day or month first?

In Germany and most of Europe, the day comes before the month. In the United States the order month, day, year is common. That can lead to misunderstandings on a tattoo: IV.VI.MMXX is 4 June in Europe but would be read as 6 April in the US. Decide deliberately on one order and stick to it. If you want to be completely sure, choose a format where the mix-up is impossible, or write the month as a word.

Separators: dot, middle dot or dash

Without separators, the three numbers blur into one another. XXIIIVIIIMCMXCIV is barely readable and cannot be translated back unambiguously. Dots (XXIII.VIII.MCMXCIV), middle dots (XXIII · VIII · MCMXCIV), dashes or a small gap are common. Which variant you choose is a matter of taste. The only important thing is that the separation is clearly visible.

Just the year or the whole date?

Many people opt for the year alone, because it is shorter and fits well into a design. Bear in mind that years vary a lot in length: MMX (2010) has three symbols, MCMLXXXVIII (1988) has eleven. How to translate years reliably is explained in the article Years in Roman numerals.

The most common tattoo mistakes

IIII instead of IV for April or for days such as the 4th or 14th.
IC or IL in years, for example MIM instead of MCMXCIX for 1999.
VIIII instead of IX for September or the 9th day.
Swapped order of day and month.
Missing separators that make the date unreadable.

Before your appointment: check backwards

Before the stencil is final, check every number backwards: type the Roman notation into the converter and make sure it really returns your day, your month and your year. If a symbol is wrong, the converter shows which rule is broken and gives the correct form. The basic rules in detail can be found in the main article Reading and writing Roman numerals.

Birth Date in Roman Numerals: Getting Your Tattoo Right