Free Roman numerals converter. Convert any number (1–3,999,999) to Roman numerals, or decode Roman numerals to numbers instantly. Perfect for tattoos, dates, anniversaries, Super Bowl numbers, and clock faces. Accurate, instant, no sign-up.
Two-way • Number ↔ Roman • 1 to 3,999,999
Convert birthdays, anniversaries, and meaningful dates to Roman numerals for tattoos, engravings, and necklaces.
Super Bowl uses Roman numerals (LX = 60). Decode movie copyright years, book chapters, and monarch names.
Read clock faces, outlines, and history. Teachers and students use it for math and Latin lessons.
Roman numerals use seven letters to represent numbers: I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500), and M (1,000). Numbers are formed by combining these symbols, generally from largest to smallest, and adding their values — so MMXXVI = 1000 + 1000 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 2026. The system originated in ancient Rome and is still widely used today for clock faces, book chapters, movie release years, monarch and pope names (Elizabeth II, Pope Francis), and event numbering like the Super Bowl and Olympic Games.
The key rule is subtractive notation: when a smaller symbol appears before a larger one, it's subtracted. So IV = 4 (5−1), IX = 9 (10−1), XL = 40, XC = 90, CD = 400, and CM = 900. This keeps numerals compact — 1999 is MCMXCIX, not the cumbersome IIII-style. Standard Roman numerals max out at 3,999 (MMMCMXCIX) because there's no single symbol for 5,000 or beyond. For larger numbers, a bar (vinculum) over a numeral multiplies it by 1,000; this converter represents that extended range so you can convert years and large values accurately.
I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1,000. Memorize with: "I Value Xylophones Like Cows Dig Milk."
IV = 4, IX = 9, XL = 40, XC = 90, CD = 400, CM = 900. A smaller symbol before a larger one means subtract.
2024 = MMXXIV. 2025 = MMXXV. 2026 = MMXXVI. 2000 = MM. 1999 = MCMXCIX. 1984 = MCMLXXXIV.
Super Bowl 50 used "50" not L. SB LV = 55, LVI = 56, LVII = 57, LVIII = 58, LIX = 59, LX = 60.
Roman numerals are an additive system with a subtractive shortcut, and the shortcut is where the rules live. Symbols are normally written largest to smallest and summed, but when a smaller value precedes a larger one it is subtracted instead — IV is 4, not 6. Only powers of ten may be subtracted (I, X, C), only from the next two higher symbols, and never more than one at a time, which is why 99 is XCIX rather than IC. The system has no zero and no place value, which is precisely why it was abandoned for arithmetic; it survives for ordinals, clock faces, film copyright dates and monarchs.
I=1 · V=5 · X=10 · L=50 · C=100 · D=500 · M=1000Subtractive pairs: IV=4 · IX=9 · XL=40 · XC=90 · CD=400 · CM=900To convert: repeatedly subtract the largest value that fits, appending its symbolwhere:
Assumptions: Standard modern notation. Historical inscriptions are inconsistent — clock faces often show IIII for 4 — and an overline multiplying by 1,000 extends the range beyond 3,999.
Work greedily from the largest value downward, applying subtractive pairs where they fit.
Result1994 = MCMXCIV
The naive additive form MDCCCCLXXXXIIII is also readable but invalid under modern rules, and it takes fourteen symbols instead of seven. Note that 1990 would be MCMXC and 1999 is MCMXCIX — never MIM, because only one subtractive step is permitted at a time.