Roman Numeral Converter

Convert numbers to Roman numerals and Roman numerals back to numbers, with the working shown. Includes a date converter for tattoos, rings, and anniversaries.

Whole numbers from 1 to 3,999. Turn on the bar notation for anything larger.

Try one of these

Result

MMXXVI

How the answer adds up

  • M+1,000
  • M+1,000
  • X+10
  • X+10
  • V+5
  • I+1
Total2,026

Quick reference chart

The seven letters every Roman numeral is built from.

  • I1
  • V5
  • X10
  • L50
  • C100
  • D500
  • M1,000

Convert both ways, and see why the answer is what it is

Most converters hand back a string of letters and leave you to trust it. This one shows the chunks behind the answer, flags a numeral written the non-standard way, and handles dates as a separate job, because a date is three numbers and not one.

I · V · X · L · C · D · M

What this converter does

Both directions in one place

Turn 2026 into MMXXVI, or read MCMXCIV back as 1994. Switch tabs without losing what you already typed.

Dates for tattoos and engravings

Enter a day, month, and year, choose the order and the separator, and get a line you can hand to a tattoo artist or a jeweller.

The working, step by step

Every letter is listed with the value it adds or subtracts, so you can check the total yourself instead of taking it on faith.

Beyond 3,999

Turn on the bar notation and a line above a letter multiplies it by a thousand, which covers everything up to 3,999,999.

Roman numerals people look up most

The values that trip people up, plus the ones that show up on clocks, chapters, and dates.

NumberRoman numeral
4IV
9IX
14XIV
40XL
49XLIX
90XC
99XCIX
400CD
500D
900CM
1998MCMXCVIII
2026MMXXVI

How this Roman Numeral Converter works

Roman numerals use seven letters — I, V, X, L, C, D, and M — and two rules about order. Put a smaller letter after a larger one and you add it, so VI is six. Put it before, and you subtract it, so IV is four. Only six subtractive pairs are valid: IV, IX, XL, XC, CD, and CM. That is why 99 is written XCIX and never IC.

To turn a number into a numeral, the converter walks down a fixed list of thirteen values, from 1000 to 1, and takes the largest one that still fits into the remainder. Each match becomes a letter or a subtractive pair until nothing is left. Reading a numeral works the other way round: the tool compares every letter with the one after it, subtracts when the next letter is bigger, and adds when it is not.

The classic range stops at 3,999, since M is the largest single symbol and four in a row is not accepted. Switch on the bar notation and a line above a letter multiplies it by a thousand, which pushes the ceiling to 3,999,999.

Type something like IIII or IC and you still get a value, plus a note showing the standard spelling. The date tab converts day, month, and year separately, then joins them in the order you choose — the layout used on tattoos, rings, and building cornerstones. Nothing is uploaded; the arithmetic runs in your browser.

How to use this Roman Numeral Converter

1

Pick a direction

Number to Roman, Roman to number, or the date tab if you are converting a birthday, wedding, or anniversary.

2

Type the value

Enter a whole number from 1 to 3,999, or a numeral built from I, V, X, L, C, D, and M. The answer updates as you type.

3

Check the working

The breakdown shows what each letter contributes and where a smaller letter is subtracted. Copy the result with one tap.

Example Usage

Converting a birth year into a Roman numeral, with each chunk shown:

Input
1994
Output
MCMXCIV M = 1000 CM = 900 (100 subtracted from 1000) XC = 90 (10 subtracted from 100) IV = 4 (1 subtracted from 5) ------------- Total = 1994

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I write a date in Roman numerals?
Convert the day, the month, and the year one at a time, then join them with a dot, a space, or a slash. For 14 March 2026 you get XIV · III · MMXXVI. The date tab does all three parts at once and lets you switch the order between day-first and month-first.
Why is there no zero in Roman numerals?
The system counts objects rather than marking place values, so it never needed a symbol for nothing. A Roman writing 205 used CCV, where the empty tens column simply has no letter. Zero as a written digit reached Europe much later through Arabic numerals.
What is the largest number I can write in Roman numerals?
In the standard system, 3,999 (MMMCMXCIX). M is the biggest single letter and writing four of them in a row is not accepted. Turn on the bar notation and a line over a letter multiplies it by a thousand, which raises the limit here to 3,999,999.
Is IIII wrong for the number 4?
Strictly it should be IV, and that is what this converter returns. IIII is still common on clock and watch faces, where it balances the VIII sitting opposite it and keeps the dial looking even. If you type IIII, the tool reads it as 4 and points out the standard spelling.
Why is 1990 written MCMXC and not MXM?
You can only subtract a letter from the next two sizes up, so C can come before D or M, but X cannot come before M. That rule breaks 1990 into 1000 (M) plus 900 (CM) plus 90 (XC), giving MCMXC. MXM skips the rule and is not valid.
How do I read a long numeral such as MCMLXXXIV?
Split it into chunks from the left. M is 1000, CM is 900, LXXX is 80, and IV is 4, which totals 1984. Any time a smaller letter sits directly in front of a bigger one, treat the pair as a single chunk instead of two separate letters.
What does the line above a Roman numeral mean?
That bar is called a vinculum, and it multiplies the letter beneath it by 1,000. A barred V is 5,000 and a barred M is 1,000,000. To type it here, put an underscore in front of the letter, so _M reads as one million.
Which date order should I use for a tattoo or engraving?
There is no official rule, so pick the one you read naturally. Day-month-year is standard across Europe and most of the world; month-day-year is standard in the United States. Whichever you choose, keep the separators consistent so nobody has to guess where one number ends.
Can Roman numerals show fractions, decimals, or negative numbers?
Not in the form people use today. Romans did have a separate fraction system based on twelfths, marked with dots and an S for a half, but it never mixed with the letters. Negative values had no notation at all, so this converter accepts whole numbers from 1 upward.
Why do the Super Bowl and the Olympics still use Roman numerals?
It keeps the event number separate from the calendar year, so Super Bowl LIX cannot be confused with a date. Film studios, book chapters, monarchs, and building cornerstones use them for the same reason, plus the formal look the letters carry.
Is anything I type sent to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser, so birthdays, anniversaries, and any other dates you enter stay on your device. Nothing is stored and no sign-up is required.

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