2012 in Roman numerals at a glance
- Roman numeral
- MMXII
- Lowercase
- mmxii
- Letters
- 5
- Parts
- M · M · X · I · I
- Subtractive pairs
- None
- Read aloud
- twenty twelve
- Leap year?
- Yes
How MMXII is built
Roman numerals are written one decimal place at a time, from the largest place to the smallest. Converting each digit of 2012 separately and joining the pieces gives MMXII:
| Place | Digit | Value | Numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thousands | 2 | 2,000 | MM |
| Hundreds | 0 | 0 | — (zero has no symbol) |
| Tens | 1 | 10 | X |
| Ones | 2 | 2 | II |
Reading it back, left to right:
- M = 1,000 → running total 1,000
- M = 1,000 → running total 2,000
- X = 10 → running total 2,010
- I = 1 → running total 2,011
- I = 1 → running total 2,012
Why MMXII has 5 letters
Every year from 2000 to 2099 begins with MM (2,000); the rest of MMXII after MM — XII — spells out 12. Of the 201 years from 1900 to 2100, 146 have a longer numeral and 23 a shorter one.
The rules MMXII follows
- Largest to smallest. MMXII uses the symbols M, X and I (5 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 2012 is a 4 or a 9, so MMXII is purely additive: just add the symbol values.
- Repetition. MM repeats M two times and II repeats I two times. I, X, C and M may repeat up to three times in a row; V, L and D never repeat.
The year 2012 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 MMXII are popular for wedding bands, tattoos and anniversary gifts.
- An Olympiad year. 2012 is the year of the Games of the XXX Olympiad — London.
- Championship numbering. The pro football championship played in early 2012 was game XLVI (46), since the series began with game I in January 1967.
- On a calendar. 2012 was a leap year, with 366 days, and January 1 fell on a Sunday. A full date such as July 4, 2012 is often written VII · IV · MMXII.
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 2012 in Roman numerals
| Year | Roman numeral | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | MMVII | 5 |
| 2008 | MMVIII | 6 |
| 2009 | MMIX | 4 |
| 2010 | MMX | 3 |
| 2011 | MMXI | 4 |
| 2012 | MMXII | 5 |
| 2013 | MMXIII | 6 |
| 2014 | MMXIV | 5 |
| 2015 | MMXV | 4 |
| 2016 | MMXVI | 5 |
| 2017 | MMXVII | 6 |
Frequently asked questions
How do you write 2012 in Roman numerals?
2012 is written MMXII. Break it into M (1000), M (1000), X (10), I (1), I (1) and add the parts: 1000 + 1000 + 10 + 1 + 1 = 2012.
How do you say MMXII?
Read the value, not the letters: MMXII is the year 2012, said “twenty twelve.” Spelling out the letters one by one is only useful when checking a carving or engraving.
What year comes after MMXII?
2013, written MMXIII. The year before, 2011, is MMXI.