---
title: "8 in Roman numerals is VIII"
description: "8 in Roman numerals is VIII, written as 5 + 1 + 1 + 1. How it breaks down, how to write it, and the numbers either side."
url: https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/8/
site: "At One Place"
---

# 8 in Roman numerals

**8 in Roman numerals: VIII**

8 is written VIII in Roman numerals. That is 4 symbol groups added together, reading left to right from the largest value down.

## How it breaks down

*VIII = 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 8*

| Group | Value | Subtraction | Running total |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| V | 5 | — | 5 |
| I | 1 | — | 6 |
| I | 1 | — | 7 |
| I | 1 | — | 8 |

## No subtraction needed

VIII is purely additive — every symbol is simply added to the one before it, with no subtractive pairs like IV or IX. Numbers avoid subtraction when none of their digits is a 4 or a 9.

## The symbols

| Symbol | Value | Used here |
| --- | --- | --- |
| I | 1 | yes — 3× |
| V | 5 | yes — 1× |
| X | 10 | no |
| L | 50 | no |
| C | 100 | no |
| D | 500 | no |
| M | 1,000 | no |

## The same number, other ways

- **In words:** Eight
- **Roman numeral:** VIII
- **Symbol count:** 4 characters
- **Binary:** 1000
- **Hexadecimal:** 8

## The numbers either side

| Number | Roman numeral |
| --- | --- |
| 6 | VI |
| 7 | VII |
| 8 | VIII ← |
| 9 | IX |
| 10 | X |

## Common questions

### What is 8 in Roman numerals?

8 is VIII.

### What does VIII mean?

VIII is the Roman numeral for 8 — 5 + 1 + 1 + 1.

### How do you write 8 in Roman numerals?

Take the largest value that fits and repeat until nothing is left: V (5), then I (1), then I (1), then I (1). That gives VIII.

## Related pages

- [6 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/6/)
- [7 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/7/)
- [9 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/9/)
- [10 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/10/)
- [4 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/4/)
- [14 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/14/)
- [19 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/19/)
- [40 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/40/)
- [42 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/42/)
- [49 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/49/)
- [50 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/50/)
- [64 in Roman numerals](https://atoneplace.net/roman-numerals/64/)

## Sources

- Calculated on this page — At One Place (/about/)