Back to C Hub

Nearby lessons

26 of 124
C - OutputC - InputC - Operators OverviewC - Arithmetic OperatorsC - Assignment Operators

C - Operators Overview

Operators Overview is one of the foundational topics in C programming. This lesson explains What is an Operator? and The Operator Families in C with complete, runnable code examples, clear step-by-step explanations, and common mistakes to avoid with exam-style MCQs at the end.

What is an Operator?

An operator is a symbol that performs an operation on values (called operands). An expression is a combination of operators and operands that gives a value.

In simple words: an operator is the verb (it does the action) and the operands are the nouns (the values it acts on). a + b means a and b are the operands, + is the operator.
Example01
CCode Cell
1sum = a + b; // + and = are operators; a, b are operands
2x = a + b * c; // an expression

The Operator Families in C

C has several families of operators — each one gets its own lesson in this tutorial:

FamilyOperatorsUsed for
Arithmetic+ - * / %Basic maths: add, subtract, multiply, divide, remainder
Relational== != < > <= >=Comparing two values
Logical&& || !Combining conditions (and, or, not)
Bitwise& | ^ << >>Working on the binary bits of a number
Assignment= += -= *= /= %=Giving values to variables
Increment / Decrement++ --Adding or subtracting 1
Conditional (Ternary)? :Short if-else in one line
SizeofsizeofMemory size of a type or variable
In simple words: every operator in C belongs to a family, and each family has one job — maths, comparison, logic, bits, assignment, counting, choosing, or measuring memory.
📝 Key Takeaways
  • Operators: arithmetic (+ - * / %), relational (== != < > <= >=), logical (&& || !), bitwise (& | ^ << >>), assignment (= += -= *= /= %=), ++ --, ternary ?:.
  • Each operator family has its own complete program — copy and run one at a time.
  • Integer division drops decimals: 5/2 = 2; use 5.0/2 for 2.5.
  • % gives the remainder and works only on integers.
  • a++ uses then increases; ++a increases then uses.
  • Ternary: condition ? value1 : value2.
  • Use brackets to control the order of evaluation.

🧠 Test Your Knowledge

2 Questions
Progress: 0 / 2