Roman Numerals 1-80

Need a number above 80? Use the converter.

The pattern

From 1 to 80 you only need 4 symbols: I (1), V (5), X (10), and L (50).
24 of the 80 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: 77 (LXXVII) is LXX + VII, and 44 (XLIV) is XL + IV.
The longest have 7 letters: XXXVIII (38) and LXXVIII (78).

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	LXX 70
8	VIII 8	LXXX 80
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: ~~XXC~~

Why isn't 80 written XXC?

Only one smaller symbol can come before a larger one. The correct form is LXXX: L + X + X + X.

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 79?Show the answer
LXXIX
2.What number is XLVII?Show the answer
47
3.How do you write 78?Show the answer
LXXVIII
4.What number is V?Show the answer
5
5.How do you write 54?Show the answer
LIV

Common questions

Which numbers from 1 to 80 use subtraction?

24 of the 80: 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 79 (LXXIX).

What is the longest Roman numeral from 1 to 80?

XXXVIII (38) and LXXVIII (78), each with 7 letters.