Python Operators

Operators

Operators in Python are symbols or keywords that help you perform different kinds of actions, like calculations, comparisons, or checking conditions. Let’s explore each type of operator with easy-to-understand examples.

1. Arithmetic Operators

These are used to do basic math like addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc.

Operator	Name	Example	Result
+	Addition	3 + 2	5
-	Subtraction	5 - 2	3
*	Multiplication	4 * 2	8
/	Division	6 / 2	3.0
%	Modulus (Remainder)	5 % 2	1
//	Floor Division	5 // 2	2
**	Exponent (Power)	2 ** 3	8

a = 10
b = 3

print("Addition:", a + b)        # 13
print("Subtraction:", a - b)     # 7
print("Multiplication:", a * b)  # 30
print("Division:", a / b)        # 3.333...
print("Modulus:", a % b)         # 1
print("Floor Division:", a // b) # 3
print("Exponent:", a ** b)       # 1000 (10³)

2. Comparison Operators

These are used to compare two values. The result is always either True or False.

Operator	Meaning	Example	Result
==	Equal to	3 == 3	True
!=	Not equal to	5 != 2	True
>	Greater than	5 > 3	True
<	Less than	2 < 4	True
>=	Greater or equal	4 >= 4	True
<=	Less or equal	3 <= 5	True

x = 7
y = 10

print(x == y)    # False, because 7 is not equal to 10
print(x != y)    # True, because 7 is not equal to 10
print(x > y)     # False, because 7 is not greater than 10
print(x < y)     # True, because 7 is less than 10
print(x >= y)    # False, because 7 is not greater than or equal to 10
print(x <= y)    # True, because 7 is less than or equal to 10

3. Assignment Operators

These are used to assign or update values of variables.

Operator	Meaning	Example
=	Assign	x = 5
+=	Add and assign	x += 3 (same as x = x + 3)
-=	Subtract and assign	x -= 2
*=	Multiply and assign	x *= 4
/=	Divide and assign	x /= 2
%=	Modulus and assign	x %= 3
//=	Floor divide and assign	x //= 2
**=	Power and assign	x **= 2

Example

The following example applies each of the assignment operators one after the other, showing how the value of x changes step by step:

x = 5         # Start with assignment
x += 3        # x = x + 3 → x becomes 8
x -= 2        # x = x - 2 → x becomes 6
x *= 4        # x = x * 4 → x becomes 24
x /= 2        # x = x / 2 → x becomes 12.0
x %= 5        # x = x % 5 → x becomes 2.0
x //= 2       # x = x // 2 → x becomes 1.0 (floor division)
x **= 3       # x = x ** 3 → x becomes 1.0 (1 raised to power 3)
print(x)

1.0

4. Logical Operators

Used to combine multiple conditions.

Operator	Meaning	Example	Result
and	True if both are True	5 > 3 and 4 > 2	True
or	True if at least one is True	5 > 3 or 2 > 4	True
not	Reverse the result	not(5 == 5)	False

Example

This example shows how logical operators work in different scenarios:

a = 7
b = 3

# AND: both conditions must be True
print(a > 5 and b < 5)

# OR: at least one condition must be True
print(a < 5 or b < 5)

# NOT: reverses the result
print(not a == 7)

# Combined logic
print(not (a < 10 and b > 5))

True
True
False
True

5. Identity Operators

Used to check if two variables point to the same object.

Operator	Meaning	Example	Result
is	True if both are same object	a is b	True or False
is not	True if not same object	a is not b	True or False

Example

a = [1, 2]
b = a
print(a is b)       # True
print(a is not b)   # False

6. Membership Operators

Used to check if a value is inside a group (like a list or string).

Operator	Meaning	Example	Result
in	True if value is present	"a" in "apple"	True
not in	True if value not present	"x" not in "apple"	True

Example

colors = ["red", "blue"]
print("red" in colors)      # True
print("green" not in colors) # True

7. Bitwise Operators

These work on binary (0s and 1s). You won’t need them yet, but here’s what they do:

Operator	Name
&	Bitwise AND
|	Bitwise OR
^	Bitwise XOR
~	Bitwise NOT
<<	Left Shift
>>	Right Shift

Code Example

a = 5      # 0101 in binary
b = 3      # 0011 in binary

print(a & b)   # 1
print(a | b)   # 7
print(a ^ b)   # 6
print(~a)      # -6
print(a << 1)  # 10
print(a >> 1)  # 2

1
7
6
-6
10
2

Conclusion

Operators are the tools that help you build logic in your Python programs. Now that you’ve learned the basics, try using them in your own mini programs!