Operators in Python

Operators are the symbols that let you do work with values — add numbers, compare them, or combine conditions. Here's a quick taste of the main groups:

print(10 + 3)      # arithmetic: 13
print(10 > 3)      # comparison: True
print(True and False)  # logical: False

Let's go group by group.

Arithmetic operators

These do basic maths:

a = 17
b = 5

print(a + b)    # addition       -> 22
print(a - b)    # subtraction    -> 12
print(a * b)    # multiplication -> 85
print(a / b)    # division       -> 3.4  (always a float)
print(a // b)   # floor division -> 3    (drops the remainder)
print(a % b)    # modulo         -> 2    (the remainder)
print(a ** b)   # exponent       -> 1419857 (17 to the power 5)

Two of these surprise beginners. / always gives a float, even 10 / 2 is 5.0. The % (modulo) operator gives the remainder — it's incredibly useful for checking even/odd numbers or wrapping values around.

# Modulo is great for checking divisibility
number = 14
if number % 2 == 0:
    print("Even")   # 14 % 2 is 0, so this runs
else:
    print("Odd")

Comparison operators

These compare two values and always return a boolean (True or False):

print(5 == 5)    # equal to            -> True
print(5 != 3)    # not equal to        -> True
print(5 > 3)     # greater than        -> True
print(5 < 3)     # less than           -> False
print(5 >= 5)    # greater or equal    -> True
print(5 <= 4)    # less or equal       -> False

Remember: == compares, while a single = assigns. This is one of the most common beginner mix-ups.

Logical operators

These combine boolean values: and, or, not.

age = 20
has_id = True

# 'and' is True only when BOTH sides are True
print(age >= 18 and has_id)   # True

# 'or' is True when AT LEAST ONE side is True
print(age < 18 or has_id)     # True

'not' flips a boolean

print(not has_id) # False

A handy detail: Python evaluates these left to right and stops early. In `age >= 18 and has_id`, if `age >= 18` is already `False`, Python doesn't even check `has_id`. This is called *short-circuit* evaluation.

## Assignment operators

The plain `=` assigns a value. The compound operators let you update a variable in place:

```python
score = 10
score += 5    # same as: score = score + 5  -> 15
score -= 3    # -> 12
score *= 2    # -> 24
score //= 5   # -> 4
print(score)

These are shortcuts you'll use constantly, especially += inside loops to build up a total.

A practical example

# A simple shopping calculation with a discount

price = 1200          # price of one item
quantity = 3          # how many
total = price * quantity   # 3600

# Apply a 10% discount only if total is over 3000
if total > 3000:
    total -= total * 0.10   # subtract 10%

print(f"Amount to pay: {round(total, 2)}")

Common mistakes

• Using = instead of ==: if x = 5: is a syntax error. Comparison needs ==.
• Expecting integer division from /: 10 / 2 gives 5.0, not 5. Use // when you want a whole-number result.
• Writing &&, ||, !: Those are from C/Java. Python uses the words and, or, not.
• Chaining comparisons carelessly: Python does allow 1 < x < 10, which is neat — but don't assume every language does. Inside Python it works exactly as you'd read it.
• Forgetting operator precedence: 2 + 3 * 4 is 14, not 20, because * runs before +. Use parentheses to make intent clear: (2 + 3) * 4.

FAQ

What does % do with floats? It still gives a remainder: 7.5 % 2 is 1.5. It works on floats just like integers.

Is there a ++ operator like in C? No. Python has no ++ or --. Use x += 1 to increase a value by one.

What's the difference between is and ==? == checks if two values are equal; is checks if they are the same object in memory. Beginners should almost always use ==.

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Operators really shine inside decisions and loops. Continue with If-Else Statements in Python and Loops in Python, or browse the full Python learning hub.

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