ROMAN
Converts an Arabic numeral to a Roman numeral as text. Useful for numbering chapters, outlines, or decorative formatting.
ROMAN(number, [form])Arguments
numberThe Arabic numeral to convert (1 to 3999)formType of Roman numeral (0=classic, 1-4=more concise)(optional)
=ROMAN(2024)Year 2024 in Roman numerals
=ROMAN(499)499 in classic Roman form
=ROMAN(14)14 in Roman numerals
- •Result is text, not a number
- •Valid for numbers 1 through 3999
- •Use ARABIC() to convert back to a number
- •Passing a number outside the 1 to 3999 range, which returns a #VALUE! error since Roman numerals don't have a standard representation for zero, negative numbers, or values above 3999
- •Forgetting that ROMAN's result is text, not a number, so it can't be used directly in further arithmetic without converting it back with ARABIC
- •Not realizing the optional form argument changes the output - the default (0) gives the classic, longer style, while higher values produce more concise but less traditional variants
Why does ROMAN return a #VALUE! error?
The number is outside the valid 1 to 3999 range - Roman numerals as implemented by this function can't represent zero, negatives, or anything larger than 3999.
Can I use ROMAN's result in a calculation?
Not directly - it returns text, not a number. Use ARABIC to convert it back into a number first if you need to calculate with it.
What does the optional form argument do?
It controls how concise the Roman numeral is - 0 (or omitted) gives the standard classic form, while 1 through 4 produce progressively more abbreviated, less traditional variants.
Need to translate a formula using ROMAN?
Use our translator to convert your complete formula