a group of tourists having fun in the sun

Study Resource: Table of the Roman numerals

By: Ana Amélia Rodrigues dos Santos
Associated Articles

These activities are part of our Brazilian Portuguese Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

Roman numerals are used to represent numbers in a lot of different languages. Interested in learning how to construct them? Have a look at this resource.

The most important numbers in Roman numerals

In most modern languages, you are most likely to see the following numbers written using Roman numerals. Here we’ve provided the most common notation for these numbers in modern language:

  • 1 → I

  • 2 → II

  • 3 → III

  • 4 → IV

  • 5 → V

  • 6 → VI

  • 7 → VII

  • 8 → VIII

  • 9 → IX

  • 10 → X

  • 20 → XX

  • 30 → XXX

  • 40 → XL

  • 50 → L

  • 60 → LX

  • 500 → D

  • 1000 → M

Keep reading to find out how to form any number using Roman numerals!

How to form numbers using Roman numerals?

The basic symbols used to form Roman numerals are:

I
V
X
L
C
D
M

1

5

10

50

100

500

1000

You can add these symbols together in order to create the numbers in between them. Put the symbol with the largest value on the left. This is called “additive notation” because you add the symbols together. For example:

Number
Roman Numeral
Sum

3

III

1 + 1 + 1 = 3

7

VII

5 + 1 + 1 = 7

16

XVI

10 + 5 + 1 = 16

71

LXXI

50 + 10 + 10 + 1 = 71

326

CCCXXVI

100 + 100 + 100 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 326

1112

MCXII

1000 + 100 + 10 + 1 + 1 = 1112

What is subtractive notation with Roman numerals?

There are a few values that, in modern uses of Roman numerals, we commonly represent using something called subtractive notation. In this type of notation, you put a symbol with a smaller value on the left of one with a larger value, to indicate that you should subtract the smaller number from the larger one. For example:

Number
Roman Numeral
Sum

4

IV

5 - 1 = 4

9

IX

10 - 1 = 9

40

XL

50 - 10 = 40

90

XC

100 - 10 = 90

400

CD

500 - 100 = 400

900

CM

1000 - 100 = 900

Using subtractive notation allows you to use fewer symbols. Compare:

  • 40 = XXXX = 10 + 10 + 10 + 10

  • 40 = XL = 50 - 10

When to use subtractive vs. additive notation?

In ancient times, the choice to use additive or subtractive numbers was somewhat a matter of preference. So you might have seen 8 written either as VIII or as IIX, and you might have seen 9 written either as VIIII or IX.

In most modern uses of Roman numerals, though, you will always use subtractive numbers to represent 4, 9, 40, 90, 400, and 900, and we only use subtractive numbers to represent those values. For example:

Modern Roman Numerals:

  • 8 = IIX VIII

  • 9 = IX VIIII

You can, however, combine the subtractive numbers for 4, 9, 40, 90, 400, and 900 to form larger numbers, like 495. To do this, you need to first form the number in the thousands place, then the hundreds place, then the tens place, then the ones place. For example:

495 = CDXCV

  • CD = 500 - 100 = 400

  • XC = 100 - 10 = 90

  • V = 5

  • CDXCV = 400 + 90 + 5 = 495

Do not write it the long way!
CCCCLXXXXV = 100 + 100 + 100 + 100 + 50 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 5 = 495

To embark on your next language adventure, join Mango on social!

Ready to take the next step?

The Mango Languages learning platform is designed to get you speaking like a local quickly and easily.

Mango app open on multiple devices