How to read Roman numerals
Seven letters are used: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500 and M = 1,000. Write the largest values first and add them up. A smaller value in front of a larger one is subtracted, and only six such pairs exist: IV (4), IX (9), XL (40), XC (90), CD (400) and CM (900).
- 2026 = MM + XX + VI = MMXXVI
- 1994 = M + CM + XC + IV = MCMXCIV
- A letter repeats at most three times, so 4 is IV rather than IIII, although clock faces often show IIII.
There is no symbol for zero, and standard notation stops at 3,999 (MMMCMXCIX). Larger numbers put a bar over letters (the vinculum) to multiply them by 1,000.