Roman numerals

Roman numerals are a numbering system that originated in Ancient Rome and is based on the use of capital letters to represent numerical values. The system consists of seven main letters: I, V, X, L, C, D and M, which combine to form different numerical values.

Roman numerals are used today in some contexts, such as in the numbering of chapters and sections in books, and in some architectural and clock designs.

Roman numeral converter:

History of Roman numerals

The invention of Roman numerals cannot be attributed to any one person or civilization. This form of numerical notation is believed to have been developed in Ancient Rome, around the 3rd century BC.

Initially, the Romans used a numerical system based on signs and marks for counting and calculations. However, as the Roman Empire grew in size and complexity, it became necessary to develop a more advanced numbering system.

The Roman numbering system is based on seven capital letters of the Latin alphabet: I, V, X, L, C, D and M. Each of these letters represents a specific numerical value: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500 and M = 1000.

The Romans used this system for counting and calculations in a wide variety of contexts, from land measurement to accounting. The Roman numbering system was also used to write dates, names of emperors and other important data.

Throughout history, Roman numerals have been widely used throughout the Western world and are still used today in some contexts, such as the numbering of chapters in books and the numbering of clocks.

In summary, although the invention of Roman numerals cannot be attributed to any one person, this form of numerical notation was developed in Ancient Rome and has been used for centuries in a wide variety of contexts.

Basic concepts for writing Roman numerals

Roman numerals are written using the following letters: I, V, X, L, C, D, and M.

Each letter represents a value:

• I = 1
• V = 5
• X = 10
• L = 50
• C = 100
• D = 500
• M = 1000

To write a number in Roman numerals, the corresponding letters are combined to form the desired number.

Roman numerals from 1 to 50:

• 1 is written as I
• 2 is written as II
• 3 is written as III
• 4 is written as IV (a subtraction of 1 from 5)
• 5 is written as V
• 6 is written as VI (a sum of 1 to 5)
• 7 is written as VII (a sum of 2 to 5)
• 8 is written as VIII (a sum of 3 to 5)
• 9 is written as IX (a subtraction of 1 from 10)
• 10 is written as X
• 11 is written as XI
• 12 is written as XII
• 13 is written as XIII
• 14 is written as XIV (a subtraction of 1 from 15)
• 15 is written as XV
• 16 is written as XVI (a sum of 1 to 15)
• 17 is written as XVII (a sum of 2 to 15)
• 18 is written as XVIII (a sum of 3 to 15)
• 19 is written as XIX (a subtraction of 1 from 20)
• 20 is written as XX
• 30 is written as XXX
• 40 is written as XL (a subtraction of 10 from 50)
• 50 is written as L

Roman numerals from 50 to 100:

• 50 is written as “L”.
• 60 is written as “LX”.
• 70 is written as “LXX”.
• 80 is written as “LXXX”.
• 90 is written as “XC”.
• 100 is written as “C”.

Roman numerals from 100 to 150:

• 100 is written as “C”.
• 110 is written as “CX”.
• 120 is written as “CXX”.
• 130 is written as “CXXX”.
• 140 is written as “CXL”.
• 150 is written as “CL”.

Roman numerals from 200 to 250:

• 150 is written as “CL”.
• 160 is written as “CLX”
• 170 is written as “CLXX”.
• 180 is written as “CLXXX”.
• 190 is written as “CXC”.
• 200 is written as “CC”.

Roman numerals from 200 to 250:

• 200 is written as “CC”.
• 210 is written as “CCX”.
• 220 is written as “CCXX”.
• 230 is written as “CCXXX”.
• 240 is written as “CCXL”.
• 250 is written as “CCL”.

Roman numerals from 250 to 300:

• 250: CCL
• 260: CCLX
• 270: CCLXXVII
• 280: CCLXXX
• 290: CCXC
• 300: CCC

Roman numerals from 300 to 350:

• 310: CCCX
• 320: CCCXX
• 330: CCCXXX
• 340: CCCXL
• 350: CCCL

Roman numerals from 350 to 400:

• 350: CCCL
• 360: CCCLX
• 370: CCCLXX
• 380: CCCLXXX
• 390: CCCXC
• 400: CD

Roman numerals from 400 to 450:

• 400: CD
• 410: CDX
• 420: CDXX
• 430: CDXXX
• 440: CDXL
• 450: CDL

Roman numerals from 450 to 500:

• 450: CDL
• 460: CDLX
• 470: CDLXX
• 480: CDLXXX
• 490: CDXC
• 500: D

Roman numerals from 500 to 1000:

The Roman numerals from 1000 to 1 million are shown below.

For numbers greater than 1000, the Romans sometimes used the letter M and sometimes used a line above the letter I, either way it means the same thing.

However, for larger numbers, the Romans used a line above the letter, which had the effect of multiplying the value by 1000.

Ī 1000
V̄ 5,000
X̄ 10,000
L̄ 50,000
C̄ 100,000
D̄ 500,000
M̄ 1,000,000

All key numbers from 1000 to 1 million are shown below.

1000 = Ī or M
1001 = ĪI or MI
1002 = ĪII or MII
1003 = ĪIII or MIIII
1004 = ĪIIV o MIV

After the thousand, it is simply counted normally, and that goes for all the numbers that continue.

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

Esta entrada también está disponible en: Español