How to Write Roman Numerals
Writing Roman numerals is easiest place by place: convert thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones separately, then join the pieces. The method below produces the modern canonical spelling used across this site.
Open converter Checker Teachers
Place-value recipe
- Confirm the number is an integer from 1 to 3999.
- Split into thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones.
- Convert each place with the tables below.
- Concatenate the four results with no spaces.
Example: 1984 → 1000 + 900 + 80 + 4 → M + CM + LXXX + IV → MCMLXXXIV.
Hundreds, tens, and ones tables
| Ones | Tens | Hundreds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 I | 10 X | 100 C |
| 2 II | 20 XX | 200 CC |
| 3 III | 30 XXX | 300 CCC |
| 4 IV | 40 XL | 400 CD |
| 5 V | 50 L | 500 D |
| 6 VI | 60 LX | 600 DC |
| 7 VII | 70 LXX | 700 DCC |
| 8 VIII | 80 LXXX | 800 DCCC |
| 9 IX | 90 XC | 900 CM |
Thousands use M, MM, or MMM only (1000–3000). Full patterns also appear on the 1–100 chart. Rules that forbid illegal shortcuts are in Roman numeral rules.
Worked examples
- 44 → XL + IV → XLIV
- 99 → XC + IX → XCIX (not IC)
- 444 → CD + XL + IV → CDXLIV
- 2026 → MM + XX + VI → MMXXVI (number page)
- 3999 → MMM + CM + XC + IX → MMMCMXCIX
For dates rather than single numbers, use the date converter so day, month, and year stay labeled clearly.
What not to write
- Do not repeat V, L, or D.
- Do not invent subtractive shortcuts such as IL, IC, XM, or IM.
- Do not write four identical symbols in modern standard form (prefer IV over IIII), except when intentionally matching a clock face that uses IIII.
- Do not expect a standard zero glyph—see Roman numeral zero.
- Do not rely on this site’s converter for values above 3999 without extended notation—see large Roman numerals.
Check your work
After writing a numeral, read it back with the method in how to read Roman numerals, or paste it into the decoder. If the decoded value matches your starting Arabic number and the spelling matches the number page, you have the canonical form.
FAQ
What is the easiest way to write Roman numerals?
Convert each decimal place separately using the standard ones/tens/hundreds tables, then join the pieces. That approach always yields the modern canonical spelling for 1–3999.
How do you write 9, 40, 90, 400, and 900?
Use the subtractive forms IX, XL, XC, CD, and CM.
How do you write 2026 in Roman numerals?
MMXXVI: MM (2000) + XX (20) + VI (6).
Can I write 4 as IIII?
Clock makers often do. For standard written conversion and most modern references, use IV.