Last updated on May 26th, 2025
Roman numerals are a way of expressing numbers using symbols. I, V, X, L, C, D, and M are the symbols we use. Roman Numerals are used in royal titles, book names, sequences, and so on. Here we will be discussing Roman Numerals, rules, and examples.
The royal titles, such as Henry I, Henry II, and so on. Have you noticed the names and wondered what these symbols (I and II) represented? Those are the Roman Numerals. Earlier people used to count using fingers, sticks, bones, etc. to count earlier. When life became complex a standard form was required to count.
Ancient Romans used the Roman Numeral system to count. I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500), and M (1000) are the symbols we use to count. In Roman Numerals, we use CDLXXXVIII to represent 488, here C is 100, D is 500, L is 50, X is 10, and I is 1.
Let’s learn more about Roman numerals and how we write them.
There are certain basic rules to write a number in Roman Numerals. In this section, let’s discuss some basic rules that need to be remembered when writing a number in Roman numerals.
The addition method is used when the smaller number is placed after the larger number, then it is the addition method. For example, VIII → V + III → 5 + 3 = 8
To write a large number, there are certain Roman Numerals that can be repeated up to three times. III → 3.
If a small number is followed by a large number in Roman Numerals, we subtract the smaller number from the large number. It is a subtraction method. For example, IX → X - I → 10 - 1 = 9
The symbols cannot be repeated more than three times and some symbols like V, L, and D cannot be repeated. For example, we won't write VV for 10; instead, we use X, and 8 we write as VIII, not IIIIIIII.
Let’s now learn how to write 488 in Roman Numerals. Follow these methods to write the number in Roman Numerals.
In the expansion method, based on the place value, the number is broken down. In this section, we will learn how to write 488 in Roman numerals using the expansion method. To write 488 in Roman Numerals, follow the steps,
Step 1: The number is broken based on the place value. Place value that is ones, tens, hundreds, etc. For 488, we write it as 400 + 80 + 8
Step 2: Converting the number into Roman Numerals
Step 3: Combining the Roman Numerals together. Therefore, 488 in Roman Numeral is CD (400) + LXXX (80) + VIII (8) = CDLXXXVIII
When writing a large number into Roman Numerals, we group the number. To write 488 in Roman Numeral, we group 488 as 400 + 80 + 8
So, 488 is written as CDLXXXVIII in Roman Numerals.
Students make mistakes when writing a number in Roman Numerals. To master Roman Numerals, we can learn a few common mistakes and the ways to avoid them.
Calculate the difference between DXL and XLVIII.
The difference between DXL and XLVIII is CDXCII.
The difference of two numbers is the value we get when subtracting one number from the other.
DXL = 540
XLVIII = 48
540 - 48 = 492
492 in Roman Numerals can be written as CDXCII.
A historian found CDXC ancient coins and wants to distribute them equally to VIII archaeologists. How many coins will each archaeologist get?
Each archaeologist will get LXI coins.
To find the number of coins each archaeologist gets, we divide the total number of coins by the number of archaeologists.
CDXC = 490
VIII = 8
490 / 8 = 61
61 in Roman numerals is LXI.
Find the sum of CDL and XXXVIII.
The sum of CDL and XXXVIII is CDLXXXVIII.
The sum is the result of adding two numbers.
CDL = 450
XXXVIII = 38
450 + 38 = 488
488 in Roman Numerals is CDLXXXVIII.
What is the product of XL and XII?
The product of XL and XII is CDLXXX.
The product of two numbers is the result of multiplying them.
XL = 40
XII = 12
40 × 12 = 480
480 in Roman Numerals can be written as CDLXXX.
Write the Roman Numeral for 400 + 88 using the expansion method.
The Roman numeral for 400 + 88 is CDLXXXVIII.
Step 1: Convert the numbers 400 and 88 into Roman numerals.
400 - CD
88 - LXXXVIII
Add the numbers together: 400 + 88 = 488
Using expansion method: 488 = 400 + 50 + 30 + 8 = CDLXXXVIII.
Hiralee Lalitkumar Makwana has almost two years of teaching experience. She is a number ninja as she loves numbers. Her interest in numbers can be seen in the way she cracks math puzzles and hidden patterns.
: She loves to read number jokes and games.