2008 in Roman numerals at a glance
- Roman numeral
- MMVIII
- Lowercase
- mmviii
- Letters
- 6
- Parts
- M · M · V · I · I · I
- Subtractive pairs
- None
- Read aloud
- two thousand eight
- Leap year?
- Yes
How MMVIII is built
Roman numerals are written one decimal place at a time, from the largest place to the smallest. Converting each digit of 2008 separately and joining the pieces gives MMVIII:
| Place | Digit | Value | Numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thousands | 2 | 2,000 | MM |
| Hundreds | 0 | 0 | — (zero has no symbol) |
| Tens | 0 | 0 | — (zero has no symbol) |
| Ones | 8 | 8 | VIII |
Reading it back, left to right:
- M = 1,000 → running total 1,000
- M = 1,000 → running total 2,000
- V = 5 → running total 2,005
- I = 1 → running total 2,006
- I = 1 → running total 2,007
- I = 1 → running total 2,008
Why MMVIII has 6 letters
Every year from 2000 to 2099 begins with MM (2,000); the rest of MMVIII after MM — VIII — spells out 8. Of the 201 years from 1900 to 2100, 100 have a longer numeral and 55 a shorter one.
The rules MMVIII follows
- Largest to smallest. MMVIII uses the symbols M, V and I (6 characters in all), and the values never increase from left to right except inside a subtractive pair.
- No subtraction needed. None of the digits of 2008 is a 4 or a 9, so MMVIII is purely additive: just add the symbol values.
- Repetition. MM repeats M two times and III repeats I three times. I, X, C and M may repeat up to three times in a row; V, L and D never repeat.
The year 2008 in Roman numerals: where it appears
- Credits, diplomas and keepsakes. Many productions still print the copyright year as a numeral, and recent dates such as MMVIII are popular for wedding bands, tattoos and anniversary gifts.
- An Olympiad year. 2008 is the year of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad — Beijing.
- Championship numbering. The pro football championship played in early 2008 was game XLII (42), since the series began with game I in January 1967.
- On a calendar. 2008 was a leap year, with 366 days, and January 1 fell on a Tuesday. A full date such as July 4, 2008 is often written VII · IV · MMVIII.
To turn a complete birth date or wedding date into numerals — with dots, dashes or spaces in US or day-first order — use the Roman numeral date converter.
Years around 2008 in Roman numerals
| Year | Roman numeral | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | MMIII | 5 |
| 2004 | MMIV | 4 |
| 2005 | MMV | 3 |
| 2006 | MMVI | 4 |
| 2007 | MMVII | 5 |
| 2008 | MMVIII | 6 |
| 2009 | MMIX | 4 |
| 2010 | MMX | 3 |
| 2011 | MMXI | 4 |
| 2012 | MMXII | 5 |
| 2013 | MMXIII | 6 |
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 2008 in Roman numerals?
2008 is written MMVIII. Break it into M (1000), M (1000), V (5), I (1), I (1), I (1) and add the parts: 1000 + 1000 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 2008.
How do you say MMVIII?
Read the value, not the letters: MMVIII is the year 2008, said “two thousand eight.” Spelling out the letters one by one is only useful when checking a carving or engraving.
What year comes after MMVIII?
2009, written MMIX. The year before, 2007, is MMVII.