How to Learn Roman Numerals Quickly

Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in Ancient Rome. It consists of the Latin alphabet in different combinations. It was actively used in Europe well into the late Middle Ages. It was later replaced with Arabic numerals. But Roman numerals are still used today on clocks, in dates, and on pages in books.

To make the process of memorizing these numerals easier, 5-Minute Crafts is sharing a simple method with you.

Roman numerals

Roman numeral I can be made with 1 finger, and II, with 2 fingers. But V is this symbol, not because there are 5 fingers, but because if you keep the thumb and show the other side of your palm, it will look like a V. And 2 hands together are 10 fingers, or 2 Vs on top of each other.

What they mean and how to understand them

✅ The Latin alphabet was used to mark these numbers: I = 1 (Latin unus, unum — one), V = 5 (Latin quinque — five), X = 10 (Latin decem — ten), L = 50 (Latin quinquaginta — fifty), C = 100 (Latin centum — one hundred), D = 500 (Latin quingenti — five hundred), M = 1,000 (Latin mille — one thousand). XXIV.

✅ To make a number in between, you have to add a few letters on the right or left. For example, 24 is XXIV.

✅ To make 1,000, you draw a horizontal line at the top.

✅ If a bigger number is placed before a smaller one, you put them together, and if a smaller one goes before a bigger one, you subtract it. This method was used to avoid repeating the same number 4 times. For example, if you need 9, 90, and 900, you put I, Х, С before Х, С, М. If you need 4, 40, and 400, you put I, Х, С before V, L, D.

How to memorize them quickly

✅ In the English language, there is a phrase, My Dear Cat Loves Xtra Vitamins Intensely, where the first letters mean M as 1,000, D as 500, C as 100, L as 50, X as 10, V as 5, and I as 1. This is a quick and easy way to memorize Roman numerals.