Free Roman numerals converter and learning guide. Learn how to read Roman numerals from I to M, understand the rules, and convert between numbers and Roman numerals.
Roman numerals appear everywhere - movie copyright dates, clock faces, book chapters, Super Bowl numbers, and historical monuments. Despite being thousands of years old, they're still in regular use.
The Basic Symbols
- I = 1
- V = 5
- X = 10
- L = 50
- C = 100
- D = 500
- M = 1000
How to Read Them
The rule is simple: larger values before smaller values means add them. Smaller values before larger values means subtract the smaller from the larger.
- VI = 5 + 1 = 6
- IV = 5 - 1 = 4
- XII = 10 + 1 + 1 = 12
- XIV = 10 + (5 - 1) = 14
- MCMLXXXIV = 1000 + (1000 - 100) + 50 + 30 + (5 - 1) = 1984
Use our Number to Roman Numerals and Roman Numerals to Number converters to check your reading.