Python Operators

Operators & Expressions

Python Operators

Operators are the glue between values and expressions. Get fluent in the categories, precedence rules, and edge cases that power control flow and data processing.

Master arithmetic operatorsSee precedence table

Operator categories

Category	Examples	Notes
Arithmetic	+, -, *, /, //, %, **	Numeric math; // is floor division
Comparison	==, !=, <, >, <=, >=	Return booleans
Logical	and, or, not	Short-circuit evaluation
Assignment	=, +=, -=, *=, /=	Combine operation + assignment
Bitwise	&, `	, ^, ~, <<, >>`
Identity	is, is not	Compare object identity
Membership	in, not in	Check containment (strings, lists, sets, dicts)

Precedence

Precedence from highest to lowest

Level	Operators
1	Parentheses `( )`
2	Exponentiation `**`
3	Unary `+x`, `-x`, `~x`
4	Multiplication, division, floor division, modulus
5	Addition, subtraction
6	Bitwise shifts
7	Bitwise AND, XOR, OR
8	Comparisons, `in`, `is`
9	Logical `not`, `and`, `or`
10	Assignment operators

When in doubt, add parentheses to make intent explicit.

Short-circuit logic

user = session_user or fetch_user()

• or returns the first truthy operand.
• and returns the first falsy operand (or the last operand if all truthy).

Use this for lazy evaluation but avoid chaining complex expressions that sacrifice readability.

Identity vs equality

a = [1, 2]
b = [1, 2]
print(a == b)  # True (values equal)
print(a is b)  # False (different objects)

Use is only for singleton checks (e.g., is None). Use == for value comparison.

Assignment expressions (walrus operator)

Available since Python 3.8:

if (line := file.readline()):
    process(line)

Use sparingly to avoid confusing readers. Great for loops that read from generators or expensive functions.

Next up in your learning path

Deep dive: Arithmetic operators

Learn division nuances, modulo rules, and exponent behavior.

Satellite

Deep dive: Comparison & identity

Prevent subtle bugs when comparing containers and objects.

Satellite

Pair with control flow

Your operators feed conditionals and loop decisions.

Companion

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does `True == 1` evaluate to True?

Booleans are subclasses of integers (`True` equals `1`, `False` equals `0`). For strict comparisons, ensure you compare to `True`/`False` explicitly or use `isinstance` checks.

What's the difference between `/` and `//`?

`/` performs floating-point division and always returns `float`. `//` performs floor division, returning the integer quotient (floored) for numeric types.

Should I use bitwise operators in everyday code?

Only when working with low-level data (flags, binary protocols) or performance-sensitive tasks. For most Python applications, higher-level abstractions are clearer.