How do I read and write Roman numerals?

A numeral is a symbol used to represent a number. (Our digits 0-9 are often called Arabic numerals.) Each letter used in Roman numerals stands for a different number:

Roman Numeral	Number
I	1
V	5
X	10
L	50
C	100
D	500
M	1000

A string of letters means that their values should be added together. For example, XXX = 10 + 10 + 10 = 30, and LXI = 50 + 10 + 1 = 61. If a smaller value is placed before a larger one, we subtract instead of adding. For instance, IV = 5 - 1 = 4.

You can use these rules to write a number in Roman numerals. Convert one digit at a time. Let's try 982:

982

= 900 + 80 + 2

= CM + LXXX + II

= CMLXXXII.