7 in Egyptian hieroglyphic
× 1× 1× 1× 1× 1× 1× 1
Seven repeated unit strokes.
ANCIENT · POWERS OF 10
Egyptian hieroglyphic
Repeated signs represent units, tens, and higher powers of ten.
Convert numbers- Place
- Nile Valley, Egypt
- Period / variant
- Ancient Egyptian monumental tradition
EXAMPLES
42 · Powers of 10
Four tens and two units.
Worked example
Write 42 in Egyptian hieroglyphic
Write the larger values first, from left to right. Each sign carries its own value; add the groups.
- × 10× 10× 10× 10
Write 4 ten signs worth 10 each: 4 × 10 = 40.
- × 1× 1
Write 2 unit strokes worth 1 each: 2 × 1 = 2.
Check
4 × 10 + 2 × 1 = 42
Sources and notation notes
UCL Researchers in Museums: Egyptian mathematics · Unicode: Egyptian hieroglyph identities
Meet the symbols
Each tile shows a sign and what it means. A sign can stand for a whole amount, such as 10 or 100.
- 1
- 10
- 100
- 1,000
- 10,000
- 100,000
- 1,000,000
How the symbols fit together
Each kind of sign has a fixed value. Count the signs of each kind, then add the totals.
- A unit stroke means 1, a ten sign means 10, and a lotus sign means 1,000. Each kind can be repeated up to nine times in this layout.
- For 42, count the four ten signs: four tens make 40.
- Count the two unit strokes: two ones make 2.
- Add 40 + 2 = 42. A lotus alone means 1,000. Because the signs carry their own values, missing amounts need no zero placeholder.
42 in Egyptian hieroglyphic
× 10× 10× 10× 10× 1× 1
Four tens and two units.
1000 in Egyptian hieroglyphic
× 1000
One lotus sign represents one thousand.
The display uses a consistent descending row for comparison. Historical inscriptions also arrange signs in compact groups and can reverse their direction. Fractions and the different hieratic notation are outside this converter.
History
Egyptian hieroglyphic notation represents quantities with dedicated signs for powers of ten. The forms include a stroke, a heel-bone shape, a coil of rope, and a lotus. This entry follows the monumental hieroglyphic tradition rather than the separate cursive hieratic numeral repertoire.
How to read it
Each kind of sign has a fixed value. Count the signs of each kind, then add the totals.
- A unit stroke means 1, a ten sign means 10, and a lotus sign means 1,000. Each kind can be repeated up to nine times in this layout.
- For 42, count the four ten signs: four tens make 40.
- Count the two unit strokes: two ones make 2.
- Add 40 + 2 = 42. A lotus alone means 1,000. Because the signs carry their own values, missing amounts need no zero placeholder.
Limits
The display uses a consistent descending row for comparison. Historical inscriptions also arrange signs in compact groups and can reverse their direction. Fractions and the different hieratic notation are outside this converter.
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