Roman Numeral Symbols
Every standard Roman numeral is built from seven Latin letters. Knowing each symbol’s value—and which ones can subtract—is the foundation for reading and writing the system.
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Symbol reference table
| Symbol | Arabic value | Role |
|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | Units; may subtract before V or X |
| V | 5 | Five; never repeated; never used subtractively |
| X | 10 | Tens; may subtract before L or C |
| L | 50 | Fifty; never repeated; never used subtractively |
| C | 100 | Hundreds; may subtract before D or M |
| D | 500 | Five hundred; never repeated; never used subtractively |
| M | 1000 | Thousands; may repeat up to three times (MMM = 3000) |
These seven letters are the complete alphabet of standard Roman numerals. There is no eighth “everyday” digit for zero—see Roman numeral zero.
How symbols group by place
Think in decimal places when converting:
- Thousands: M, MM, MMM (1000–3000)
- Hundreds: C, CC, CCC, CD, D, DC, DCC, DCCC, CM
- Tens: X, XX, XXX, XL, L, LX, LXX, LXXX, XC
- Ones: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX
Concatenate the place results. Example: 2026 → MM + XX + VI → MMXXVI. Browse place patterns on the 1–100 chart and year pages such as 2026 in Roman numerals.
Subtractive symbols in context
Only I, X, and C appear on the left of a larger symbol in standard form:
- I before V or X → IV (4), IX (9)
- X before L or C → XL (40), XC (90)
- C before D or M → CD (400), CM (900)
V, L, and D never lead a subtractive pair. Full detail: subtraction rules and the broader Roman numeral rules.
Case, spacing, and typography
Roman numerals are usually written in uppercase. Lowercase forms (i, v, x…) appear in some book front matter and outlines, but they represent the same values. Do not insert spaces, commas, or Arabic digits inside a numeral string.
Extended large-number notation may place a bar (vinculum) over symbols to multiply by 1,000. That is outside the seven-symbol standard range used by this site’s converter—see large Roman numerals.
Symbols you will not find in the standard set
Letters such as N (sometimes associated with nulla for “none” in later scholarly discussion), Arabic 0, or invented glyphs are not part of classical I–M notation. Decorative fonts may stylize the same seven letters; that does not add new values.
When you encounter a numeral in the wild, paste it into the decoder or match it against charts and number pages.
FAQ
How many Roman numeral symbols are there?
Seven in standard use: I, V, X, L, C, D, and M. Extended systems for very large numbers add marks such as overlines, but those are separate conventions.
What does M stand for in Roman numerals?
M represents 1000. Two Ms (MM) are 2000; three Ms (MMM) are 3000—the maximum thousands place in the 1–3999 range.
Is there a Roman numeral for 0?
Not among the seven standard symbols. Classical counting with Roman numerals started at 1; later writers sometimes discussed nulla or N, but that is not standard converter notation.
Which symbols can be used for subtraction?
Only I, X, and C, and only before specific larger symbols: IV, IX, XL, XC, CD, and CM.