Operators are symbols and keywords that combine values and variables: arithmetic for math, comparisons for ordering, logical keywords for conditions, assignment and compound assignment for updating names, bitwise ops for integer bits, and in / is for membership and identity. Precedence decides evaluation order when you do not add parentheses. This guide groups them in tables you can skim, then calls out //, precedence, and common mistakes. For string concatenation with +, see concatenate strings in Python; for combining tests in control flow, see if / else.
Tested on: Python 3.13.3; kernel 6.14.0-37-generic; Ubuntu 25.04.
Python operators list
| Operator type | Used for |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic | Math calculations |
| Assignment | Bind names to values |
| Compound assignment | Update a variable and rebind in one step |
| Comparison | Compare two values (True / False) |
| Logical | Combine conditions (and, or, not) |
| Bitwise | Integer operations on bit patterns |
| Membership | Test presence in a sequence or mapping |
| Identity | Test whether two references are the same object |
Arithmetic operators in Python
| Operator | Meaning |
|---|---|
+ |
Addition |
- |
Subtraction |
* |
Multiplication |
/ |
Division (true division; result is float in Python 3) |
// |
Floor division |
% |
Modulus (remainder) |
** |
Exponentiation (see pow() examples) |
a, b = 5, 2
print(a + b, a - b, a * b, a / b, a // b, a % b, a**b)This prints 7 3 10 2.5 2 1 25. Beyond numbers, + can concatenate sequences and * can repeat them—same idea as in the string tutorial linked above. Operand types and promotion rules are covered in Python numbers.
What does // mean in Python?
// is floor division: it divides and rounds the result toward negative infinity. It differs from /, which always performs true division and returns a floating-point value in Python 3.
| Operator | Meaning | Typical result shape |
|---|---|---|
/ |
True division | float |
// |
Floor division | int if both operands are int, otherwise float |
print(7 / 2, 7 // 2)
print(-7 // 2)You should see 3.5 and 3, then -4 (floor toward negative infinity, not “truncate toward zero” for negatives).
Comparison operators in Python
Comparisons evaluate to True or False. They appear in if, elif, while, comprehensions, and validation.
| Operator | Meaning |
|---|---|
== |
Equal value |
!= |
Not equal |
> |
Greater than |
< |
Less than |
>= |
Greater than or equal |
<= |
Less than or equal |
print(5 == 5, 5 != 3, 9 > 4, 3 < 7)Assignment operators in Python
| Operator | Meaning |
|---|---|
= |
Bind a name to a value |
:= |
Walrus: assign inside an expression |
Use = for normal binding. The walrus := assigns while producing a value (for example if (n := len(items)) > 10:). Learn = well first; add := only where it clearly removes duplication.
Compound assignment operators in Python
Compound operators update the left-hand side using the current value and an operand on the right.
| Operator | Same idea as |
|---|---|
+= |
x = x + y |
-= |
x = x - y |
*= |
x = x * y |
/= |
x = x / y |
//= |
x = x // y |
%= |
x = x % y |
**= |
x = x ** y |
&= |
x = x & y |
^= |
x = x ^ y |
<<= |
x = x << y |
>>= |
x = x >> y |
Bitwise OR uses the same pattern with a pipe character before the equals sign (OR-then-assign); write it in code as you would in a script.
For mutable targets such as lists, += can mutate in place rather than rebind; treat compound assignment as “update the object” when the target is mutable.
Assignment vs compound assignment
| Feature | = assignment |
Compound assignment |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Store a value | Update using current value |
| Typical use | First binding | Counters, accumulators, flags |
| Readability | Clearest for new values | Compact for repeated updates |
Logical operators in Python
| Operator | Meaning |
|---|---|
and |
True if both sides are true |
or |
True if at least one side is true |
not |
Inverts truthiness |
and / or short-circuit: the right side may not run. They return one of the operands, not always a strict boolean—for example 0 or 42 yields 42. For “all / any” over iterables, see Python any() and all().
Bitwise operators in Python
Bitwise operators act on integer bits (two’s complement). Common uses: permission flags, masks, packed binary fields, and protocol work.
| Operator | Meaning |
|---|---|
& |
Bitwise AND |
| |
Bitwise OR |
^ |
Bitwise XOR |
~ |
Bitwise NOT |
<< |
Left shift |
>> |
Right shift |
They are not interchangeable with and / or, which work on truthiness, not bit patterns.
Membership operators in Python
| Operator | Meaning |
|---|---|
in |
Value is present |
not in |
Value is absent |
Works with strings (substrings), lists, tuples, sets, dict keys, and other collections that define containment.
print(3 in [1, 2, 3])
print("py" in "python")
print("x" in {"x": 1})Identity operators in Python
| Operator | Meaning |
|---|---|
is |
Same object |
is not |
Different objects |
== compares values; is compares identity. For None, always write x is None (see Python None).
a = [1]
b = [1]
print(a == b, a is b)This prints True False: equal contents, different list objects.
Python operators by use case
| Use case | Operator type |
|---|---|
| Total or math | Arithmetic |
| Compare scores or limits | Comparison |
| Combine several tests | Logical |
| Bump a counter | Compound assignment |
| Item in a collection | Membership |
Sentinel None |
Identity (is None) |
| Flag bits | Bitwise |
| Clarify order | Parentheses |
Python operator precedence
Precedence decides which sub-expressions run first. Parentheses override everything. Rough order: calls, indexing, attributes; then **; unary + - ~; then * / // %; then + -; then shifts; then bitwise & ^ |; then comparisons and membership/identity; then not, and, or; assignment forms are last.
| Priority (high → low) | Operators / forms |
|---|---|
| Highest | Parentheses (), indexing [], calls (), attributes . |
| High | ** |
| High | Unary +, -, ~ |
| Medium | *, /, //, % |
| Medium | +, - (binary) |
| Medium | <<, >> |
| Medium | &, ^, | (bitwise) |
| Low | Comparisons, in, is |
| Low | not |
| Low | and |
| Low | or |
| Lowest | Conditional expression, =, walrus, compound assigns |
For the authoritative ordering, see the Python language reference on operator precedence.
Common operator mistakes in Python
- Mixing up
/(true division) and//(floor division), especially with negative operands. - Using
isfor value equality; use==unless you mean identity (exceptNone, whereis Noneis correct). - Relying on precedence in long expressions—add parentheses when readers would pause.
- Chaining
andandorwithout parentheses; intent becomes ambiguous. - Assuming
+=on a list always creates a new list—it often mutates the existing list in place. - Using
&or|where you meantandoror.
Best practices for using Python operators
- Prefer parentheses for non-obvious mixes of arithmetic, comparison, and logical operators.
- Use
is None/is not NoneforNonechecks; useinfor membership. - Use compound assignment for simple counters and accumulators; split complex logic into named intermediates.
- Avoid cramming many different operators into one line—readability beats cleverness.
Python operators quick reference
| Task | Operator |
|---|---|
| Add | + |
| Subtract | - |
| Multiply | * |
| Divide | / |
| Floor divide | // |
| Remainder | % |
| Power | ** |
| Assign | = |
| Add and assign | += |
| Equal value | == |
| Same object | is |
| Membership | in |
| Combine conditions | and, or, not |
| Bitwise | &, ^, ~, <<, >>, plus bitwise OR |
Summary
- Python operators cover arithmetic, comparison, logical, assignment, compound assignment, bitwise, membership, and identity.
/is true division;//is floor division—watch negatives.- Comparisons return booleans; logical operators short-circuit and may return operands.
- Compound assignment updates in one step; on mutables it can mutate in place.
in/not intest containment;istests identity—useis None, not== None.- Precedence controls evaluation order; use parentheses and the official table when in doubt.
