Roman Numerals 1-60

Need a number above 60? Use the converter.

The pattern

From 1 to 60 you only need 4 symbols: I (1), V (5), X (10), and L (50).
20 of the 60 numbers use subtraction: every number with a 4 or a 9 in one of its places, such as 4 (IV), 9 (IX), and 40 (XL).
Each number is its ten followed by its unit, read from left to right: 57 (LVII) is L + VII, and 44 (XLIV) is XL + IV.
The longest is 38, XXXVIII, with 7 letters.

Building blocks

Every number here is put together from these pieces, from the largest place to the smallest.

Building blocks
Digit	Units	Tens
1	I 1	X 10
2	II 2	XX 20
3	III 3	XXX 30
4	IV 4	XL 40
5	V 5	L 50
6	VI 6	LX 60
7	VII 7	—
8	VIII 8	—
9	IX 9	—

Common mistakes

Wrong: IL

Why isn't 49 written IL?

Only I, X and C subtract, and only from the next two symbols (IV, IX, XL, XC, CD, CM). The correct form is XLIX: XL (40) + IX (9).

Wrong: ~~XXXX~~

Why isn't 40 written XXXX?

A symbol can repeat at most three times in a row. The correct form is XL: L − X.

Wrong: ~~IIX~~

Why isn't 8 written IIX?

Only one smaller symbol can come before a larger one. The correct form is VIII: V + I + I + I.

How to remember them

The rules behind every row are explained in how Roman numerals work.

Try it

Five numbers from this list. Answer in your head, then open the answer.

1.How do you write 38?Show the answer
XXXVIII
2.What number is XXXV?Show the answer
35
3.How do you write 37?Show the answer
XXXVII
4.What number is L?Show the answer
50
5.How do you write 39?Show the answer
XXXIX

Common questions

Which numbers from 1 to 60 use subtraction?

20 of the 60: every number that has a 4 or a 9 in its units, tens or hundreds. The first ones are 4 (IV), 9 (IX), 14 (XIV), and 19 (XIX); the last one is 59 (LIX).

What is the longest Roman numeral from 1 to 60?

XXXVIII (38), with 7 letters.