Download Article
Download Article
Reading the number MMDCCLXVII would have been no problem for someone in ancient Rome or for the many people in medieval Europe who continued to use the Roman system. Learn how to read these numbers yourself following a few basic rules.
Steps
-
Learn the basic value of each digit. There are only a few Roman numerals, so it doesn't take long to learn them: [1] X Research source
- I = 1
- V = 5
- X = 10
- L = 50
- C = 100
- D = 500
- M = 1000
-
Use a mnemonic. A mnemonic is a phrase that you can memorize more easily than a list of numbers, that will help you remember the order of the digits. Try repeating this one to yourself ten times: [2] X Research source
- I V alue X ylophones L ike C ows D o M ilk.
Advertisement -
Add numbers with larger digits first. If the digits are ordered largest to smallest, all you need to do to read them is add the value of each digit. Here are some examples: [3] X Research source
- VI = 5 + 1 = 6
- LXI = 50 + 10 + 1 = 61
- III = 1 + 1 + 1 = 3
-
Treat numbers with smaller digits first as subtraction. Most people who use Roman numerals save space by using subtraction to show certain numbers. You'll know this is happening if a smaller digit is in front of a larger digit. This only happens in a few situations: [4] X Research source
- IV = 1 subtracted from 5 = 5 - 1 = 4
- IX = 1 subtracted from 10 = 10 - 1 = 9
- XL = 10 subtracted from 50 = 50 - 10 = 40
- XC = 10 subtracted from 100 = 100 - 10 = 90
- CM = 100 subtracted from 1000 = 1000 - 100 = 900
-
Break a number into parts to understand it. If you need to, divide a number into groups of digits to understand it better. [5] X Research source Always make sure you catch any "subtraction problems" with a smaller digit in front of a larger, and include both the digits into the same group.
- For example, try to read DCCXCIX.
- There are two places in the number with a small digit in front of a larger one: XC and IX.
- Keep the "subtraction problems" together and break up the other digits separately: D + C + C + XC + IX.
- Translate into ordinary numerals using the subtraction rules when necessary: 500 + 100 + 100 + 90 + 9
- Add them all together: DCCXCIX = 799.
-
Look for a horizontal bar for very large numbers. If a horizontal line is drawn across the top of a number, multiply the value by 1,000. [6] X Research source Be careful, though: many people draw a horizontal line above and below every roman numeral, just as decoration.
- For example, an X with a " – " written over it means 10,000.
- If you're not sure whether the bar is just decoration, think about the context. Would a general send in 10 soldiers, or 10,000? Would a recipe use 5 apples, or 5,000?
Advertisement
-
Count from one to ten. This is a good set of numbers to learn. If there are two options listed, there are two correct ways to write that number. Most people stick to one or the other, either using the subtraction method when possible, or writing everything as addition.
- 1 = I
- 2 = II
- 3 = III
- 4 = IV or IIII
- 5 = V
- 6 = VI
- 7 = VII
- 8 = VIII
- 9 = IX or VIIII
- 10 = X
-
Count by tens. Here are the Roman numerals from ten to hundred, counting by tens:
- 10 = X
- 20 = XX
- 30 = XXX
- 40 = XL or XXXX
- 50 = L
- 60 = LX
- 70 = LXX
- 80 = LXXX
- 90 = XC or LXXXX
- 100 = C
-
Challenge yourself with more difficult numbers. Here are some more difficult challenges. Try to get them yourself, then highlight the answer to make it visible:
- LXXVII = 77
- XCIV = 94
- DLI = 551
- MCMXLIX = 1949
-
Read dates. Next time you watch a movie, look for a date in Roman numerals during the opening film credits. You can break them down into parts to make them easier to read: [7] X Research source
- MCM = 1900
- MCM L = 1950
- MCM LXXX V = 1985
- MCM XC = 1990
- MM = 2000
- MM VI = 2006
Advertisement
-
Use this section only for old text. Roman numerals were not standardized until modern times. Even the Romans themselves used them inconsistently, and all sorts of variations were used into medieval times and even the 19th and early 20th centuries. If you come across an old text with numerals that don't make sense in the usual system, refer to the steps below for help interpreting it. [8] X Research source
- If you're learning Roman numerals for the first time, ignore this section.
-
Read unusual repetitions. Most modern users don't like to repeat the same digit if they can avoid it, and never subtracted more than one digit at a time. Old sources didn't obey these rules, but it's usually easy to figure out what they meant. [9] X Research source For example:
- VV = 5 + 5 = 10
- XXC = (10 + 10) subtracted from 100 = 100 - 20 = 80
-
Look for signs of multiplication. Confusingly, old texts sometimes use the smaller digit in front of the larger to mean multiplication, not subtraction. For example, VM might mean 5 x 1000 = 5000. There's not always an easy way to tell when this is happening, but sometimes the number is slightly altered:
- A period between the two numbers: VI.C = 6 x 100 = 600.
- A subscript: IV M = 4 x 1000 = 4000.
-
Understand variations of I. In old printed works, the symbol j or J is sometimes used instead of i or I at the end of a number. More rarely, an extra tall I at the end of a word can signify 2 instead of 1. [10] X Research source
- For example, xvi or XVJ, both equal 16.
- xvI = 10 + 5 + 2 = 17
-
Read large numbers with unusual symbols. Early printers sometimes used a symbol called the apostrophus, similar to a backwards C or a ) symbol. This and variations of it were only used for large numbers:
- M was sometimes written as CI) or ∞ by early printers, or as a Ï• in ancient Rome.
- D was sometimes written as I)
- Enclosing the above numbers inside additional ( and ) symbols meant multiplication by ten. For example, (CI)) = 10,000 and ((CI))) = 100,000.
Advertisement
Community Q&A
Search
-
QuestionM=Millenium, than what the names of the rest numerals (I V X L C D) ?Community AnswerI = unus (1); V = quinque (5); X = decem (10); L = quinquaginta (50); C = Centum (100); and D = quingenti (500).
-
QuestionWhat number is CDIX?Jean BrunetteCommunity Answer409. C is equal to 100 and D is equal to 500, so if you subtract C from D, it is 400, or CD. I is equal to 1 and X is equal to 10, so if you subtract 1 from 10 it is 9, or IX. Add these two numbers and the sum is 409, or CDIX.
-
QuestionWhat is the following roman numeral? MMXIXDonaganTop AnswererMMXIX is M + M + X + IX = 1000 + 1000 + 10 + (10 - 1) = 1000 + 1000 + 10 + 9 = 2000 + 19 = 2,019.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Video
Tips
- Only the "subtraction problems" described above are used. Roman numerals avoid subtraction in all other situations: [11] X Research source
- V, L, and D are never subtracted, only added. Write 15 as XV, not as XVX .
- Only one digit can be subtracted at a time. Write 8 as VIII, not as IIX .
- Don't use subtraction if one digit is more than ten times larger than the other. Write 99 as XCIX, not as IC .
Thanks - While the Romans didn't have lowercase letters, you can use them when writing Roman numerals.Thanks
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Advertisement
References
- ↑ https://www.purplemath.com/modules/romannum.htm
- ↑ https://www.romannumerals.org/blog/easy-ways-to-remember-roman-numerals-17
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/e/roman-numerals/
- ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/e/roman-numerals/
- ↑ https://reference.yourdictionary.com/resources/romanums.html
- ↑ https://www.cuemath.com/numbers/roman-numerals/
- ↑ https://reference.yourdictionary.com/resources/romanums.html
- ↑ https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/reading-old-documents/roman-numerals/
- ↑ http://www.numericana.com/answer/roman.htm#numeration
About This Article
Article Summary
X
To read Roman numerals, start by learning the values of the 7 numerals, which are the only ones used. Once you know all the numerals and their values, practice reading numbers that have multiple numerals in them. If the numerals go in order from largest to smallest, just add them all together to get the number. If the numerals go from smallest to largest, subtract the smaller numeral from the larger one that comes after it. If you ever encounter a numeral with a line over it, multiply that numeral by 1,000 to find its value. If you want to learn how to count using Roman numerals, keep reading the article!
Did this summary help you?
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 137,227 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "I've just always wanted to learn Roman numerals. I've created a code based off of the English language, and want to use Roman numerals as the numeric system. Just makes things more fun." ..." more
Advertisement
100%
of readers found this article helpful
.
Click a star to add your vote
% of people told us that this article helped them.
"I've just always wanted to learn Roman numerals. I've created a code based off of the English language, and want to use Roman numerals as the numeric system. Just makes things more fun."
..."
more
"Wanted to understand how to read Roman numerals, this site sets it out brilliantly with pictures and simple explanations."
..."
more
"I learned the beginning numerals that I didn't know before, and it was explained very well. Thank you."
"It was great. It really helped me to understand how to use Roman numerals."
"I need to learn these for organization. "
