numly

A Python library to convert numbers across the world's numeral systems.

pip install numly

What is numly?

numly lets you convert any number between 12 different numeral systems with a single function call — from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs to modern binary, from Mayan glyphs to English words.

import numly

numly.convert(42, "decimal", "roman")         # → 'XLII'
numly.convert("XLII", "roman", "chinese")     # → '四十二'
numly.to_words(1_234_567, "indian")           # → 'twelve lakh thirty four thousand...'
numly.to_binary(255)                          # → '11111111'
numly.to_all(42)                              # → all systems at once

Supported Systems

Systems with a range limit return None in to_all() if the number is out of range.

Installation

pip install numly

Requires Python 3.8 or higher.

Quick Start

import numly

# Numeral systems
numly.to_roman(2024)              # → 'MMXXIV'
numly.to_chinese(42)              # → '四十二'
numly.to_arabic_indic(2024)       # → '٢٠٢٤'
numly.to_greek(999)               # → 'ϠϘΘʹ'
numly.to_egyptian(1234)           # → '𓆼𓍢𓍢𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏺𓏺𓏺𓏺'
numly.to_tamil(42)                # → '௪௰௨'
numly.to_babylonian(61)           # → '𒁹 𒁹'
numly.to_mayan(42)                # → '𝋂 𝋂'
numly.to_mayan_text(42)           # → '•• | ••'

# Base conversions
numly.to_binary(42)               # → '101010'
numly.to_octal(42)                # → '52'
numly.to_hex(255)                 # → 'FF'
numly.to_hex(255, prefix=True)    # → '0xFF'
numly.to_base(42, 36)             # → '16'

# English words
numly.to_words(1_234_567)                  # → 'one million two hundred thirty four thousand five hundred sixty seven'
numly.to_words(1_234_567, "indian")        # → 'twelve lakh thirty four thousand five hundred sixty seven'

# Convert back to decimal
numly.from_roman('MMXXIV')        # → 2024
numly.from_chinese('四十二')      # → 42
numly.from_tamil('௪௰௨')          # → 42
numly.from_babylonian('𒁹 𒁹')    # → 61
numly.from_mayan('𝋂 𝋂')          # → 42
numly.from_binary('101010')       # → 42
numly.from_hex('FF')              # → 255

Universal Converter

convert(value, from_system, to_system)

Convert between any two systems directly — no need to go through decimal.

from numly import convert

# decimal → others
convert(42, "decimal", "roman")           # → 'XLII'
convert(42, "decimal", "tamil")           # → '௪௰௨'
convert(42, "decimal", "babylonian")      # → '𒌋𒌋𒌋𒌋𒁹𒁹'
convert(42, "decimal", "mayan")           # → '𝋂 𝋂'
convert(42, "decimal", "binary")          # → '101010'
convert(42, "decimal", "hex")             # → '2A'

# cross-system (no decimal step needed)
convert("MMXXIV",  "roman",    "chinese")      # → '二千零二十四'
convert("四十二",  "chinese",  "greek")         # → 'ΜΒʹ'
convert("ΜΒʹ",    "greek",    "roman")          # → 'XLII'
convert("٤٢",     "arabic_indic", "egyptian")   # → '𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏺𓏺'
convert("101010",  "binary",   "hex")           # → '2A'

# to decimal
convert("XLII", "roman", "decimal")       # → 42
convert("FF",   "hex",   "decimal")       # → 255

to_all(value, from_system="decimal")

Convert a number to all systems at once.

from numly import to_all

to_all(42)
# {
#   'decimal':      42,
#   'roman':        'XLII',
#   'arabic_indic': '٤٢',
#   'chinese':      '四十二',
#   'greek':        'ΜΒʹ',
#   'egyptian':     '𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏺𓏺',
#   'tamil':        '௪௰௨',
#   'babylonian':   '𒌋𒌋𒌋𒌋𒁹𒁹',
#   'mayan':        '𝋂 𝋂',
#   'binary':       '101010',
#   'octal':        '52',
#   'hex':          '2A'
# }

English Words

Convert numbers to English words in Western or Indian system.

from numly import to_words, to_words_western, to_words_indian

# Western system (thousand → million → billion → trillion)
to_words_western(0)              # → 'zero'
to_words_western(42)             # → 'forty two'
to_words_western(1_000)          # → 'one thousand'
to_words_western(1_000_000)      # → 'one million'
to_words_western(1_234_567)      # → 'one million two hundred thirty four thousand five hundred sixty seven'
to_words_western(1_000_000_000)  # → 'one billion'

# Indian system (thousand → lakh → crore)
to_words_indian(0)               # → 'zero'
to_words_indian(42)              # → 'forty two'
to_words_indian(1_00_000)        # → 'one lakh'
to_words_indian(1_234_567)       # → 'twelve lakh thirty four thousand five hundred sixty seven'
to_words_indian(1_00_00_000)     # → 'one crore'
to_words_indian(1_00_00_00_000)  # → 'ten crore'

# or use to_words() with system parameter
to_words(1_234_567, "western")   # → 'one million two hundred...'
to_words(1_234_567, "indian")    # → 'twelve lakh thirty four thousand...'

Base Conversions

from numly import to_binary, to_octal, to_hex, to_base

# Binary
to_binary(42)                # → '101010'
to_binary(42, prefix=True)   # → '0b101010'
from_binary('101010')        # → 42

# Octal
to_octal(42)                 # → '52'
to_octal(42, prefix=True)    # → '0o52'
from_octal('52')             # → 42

# Hexadecimal
to_hex(255)                  # → 'FF'
to_hex(255, prefix=True)     # → '0xFF'
to_hex(255, upper=False)     # → 'ff'
from_hex('FF')               # → 255
from_hex('0xff')             # → 255

# Any custom base (2–36)
to_base(42, 2)               # → '101010'
to_base(42, 8)               # → '52'
to_base(42, 16)              # → '2A'
to_base(255, 36)             # → '73'
from_base('2A', 16)          # → 42

Ancient Numeral Systems

Tamil (0 – 9,999)

Ancient Tamil positional-additive system using Unicode Tamil block.

numly.to_tamil(0)       # → '௦'
numly.to_tamil(10)      # → '௰'
numly.to_tamil(42)      # → '௪௰௨'
numly.to_tamil(1234)    # → '௧௲௨௱௩௰௪'
numly.from_tamil('௪௰௨') # → 42

Babylonian (1 – 216,000)

Base-60 cuneiform system using 𒁹 (1) and 𒌋 (10). Digits separated by spaces.

numly.to_babylonian(10)    # → '𒌋'
numly.to_babylonian(42)    # → '𒌋𒌋𒌋𒌋𒁹𒁹'
numly.to_babylonian(60)    # → '𒁹 𒑱'   (1×60 + zero)
numly.to_babylonian(61)    # → '𒁹 𒁹'   (1×60 + 1)
numly.to_babylonian(3661)  # → '𒁹 𒁹 𒁹' (1×3600 + 1×60 + 1)
numly.from_babylonian('𒁹 𒁹') # → 61

Mayan (0 – 7,999)

Base-20 system — one of the first civilisations to use zero. Available in Unicode glyph form and human-readable dot/bar form.

numly.to_mayan(0)          # → '𝋠'
numly.to_mayan(19)         # → '𝋳'
numly.to_mayan(20)         # → '𝋡 𝋠'    (1×20 + 0)
numly.to_mayan(42)         # → '𝋂 𝋂'    (2×20 + 2)
numly.to_mayan_text(0)     # → '◎'       (shell = zero)
numly.to_mayan_text(7)     # → '••━'     (2 dots + 1 bar)
numly.to_mayan_text(42)    # → '•• | ••'
numly.from_mayan('𝋂 𝋂')   # → 42

Validation

Each system has an is_valid_* function:

numly.is_valid_roman("XIV")           # → True
numly.is_valid_roman("ABC")           # → False
numly.is_valid_chinese("四十二")      # → True
numly.is_valid_greek("ΜΒʹ")           # → True
numly.is_valid_egyptian("𓎆𓎆𓏺𓏺")   # → True
numly.is_valid_arabic_indic("٤٢")    # → True
numly.is_valid_tamil("௪௰௨")          # → True
numly.is_valid_babylonian("𒁹 𒁹")   # → True
numly.is_valid_mayan("𝋂 𝋂")          # → True

Egyptian Symbol Breakdown

from numly import symbol_breakdown

symbol_breakdown(1234)
# {'𓆼': 1, '𓍢': 2, '𓎆': 3, '𓏺': 4}
# 1 lotus (1000) + 2 rope coils (100) + 3 heel bones (10) + 4 tallies (1)

Error Handling

numly raises clear, descriptive errors:

numly.to_roman(5000)
# ValueError: Roman numerals support 1–3999, got 5000

numly.to_roman("hello")
# TypeError: Expected int, got 'str'

numly.from_roman("XYZ")
# ValueError: Invalid Roman numeral character: 'Y'

numly.to_binary(-1)
# ValueError: Negative numbers are not supported

numly.to_words(42, "french")
# ValueError: Unknown system 'french'. Choose 'western' or 'indian'.

Full API Reference

Numeral Systems

Base Conversions

Words

Universal

What's Coming Next

• 🔜 Negative number support
• 🔜 Locale-aware formatting (1,000.00 vs 1.000,00)
• 🔜 Words in more languages (Tamil, Hindi, Arabic…)
• 🔜 Numbers beyond current range limits
• 🔜 More ancient systems (Aztec, Sumerian, Greek acrophonic)

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.

git clone https://github.com/TheMadrasTechie/numly.git
cd numly
pip install -e .

License

MIT License © 2026 TheMadrasTechie