📊 Python Relational Operators: Complete Guide

What are Relational Operators?

Relational operators (also called comparison operators) are used to compare two values and determine the relationship between them. They always return a Boolean value: True or False.

Think of them as the "question words" of programming. They ask questions like: "Is this equal to that?" or "Is this greater than that?" and Python answers with True or False.

Quick Reference Table

Here's a quick reference of all Python relational operators:

1. Equal To (==)

The equal to operator (==) checks if two values are equal. It returns True if they are equal, and False otherwise.

# Equal To (==) Examples
print(5 == 5)   # Output: True
print(5 == 3)   # Output: False

# With variables
x = 10
y = 10
print(x == y)   # Output: True

# With strings
print("hello" == "hello")  # Output: True
print("hello" == "world")  # Output: False

2. Not Equal (!=)

The not equal operator (!=) checks if two values are different. It returns True if they are not equal, and False otherwise.

# Not Equal (!=) Examples
print(5 != 3)   # Output: True
print(5 != 5)   # Output: False

# With variables
a = 10
b = 20
print(a != b)   # Output: True

# With strings
print("python" != "java")  # Output: True
print("python" != "python")  # Output: False

3. Greater Than (>)

The greater than operator (>) checks if the left value is greater than the right value.

# Greater Than (>) Examples
print(5 > 3)    # Output: True
print(3 > 5)    # Output: False
print(5 > 5)    # Output: False

# With variables
age = 18
print(age > 17)  # Output: True

4. Less Than (<)

The less than operator (<) checks if the left value is less than the right value.

# Less Than (<) Examples
print(3 < 5)    # Output: True
print(5 < 3)    # Output: False
print(5 < 5)    # Output: False

# With variables
score = 75
print(score < 80)  # Output: True

5. Greater Than or Equal To (>=)

The greater than or equal to operator (>=) checks if the left value is greater than or equal to the right value.

# Greater Than or Equal To (>=) Examples
print(5 >= 5)   # Output: True
print(5 >= 3)   # Output: True
print(3 >= 5)   # Output: False

# With variables
temperature = 30
print(temperature >= 25)  # Output: True

6. Less Than or Equal To (<=)

The less than or equal to operator (<=) checks if the left value is less than or equal to the right value.

# Less Than or Equal To (<=) Examples
print(5 <= 5)   # Output: True
print(3 <= 5)   # Output: True
print(5 <= 3)   # Output: False

# With variables
discount = 10
print(discount <= 15)  # Output: True

7. Real-World Examples

# Age Verification Example
age = 18
voting_age = 18

if age >= voting_age:
    print("You are eligible to vote!")
else:
    print("You are not eligible to vote yet.")

# Output: You are eligible to vote!

# Grade Calculator Example
score = 85

if score >= 90:
    grade = "A"
elif score >= 80:
    grade = "B"
elif score >= 70:
    grade = "C"
elif score >= 60:
    grade = "D"
else:
    grade = "F"

print(f"Score: {score}, Grade: {grade}")

# Output: Score: 85, Grade: B

# Price Comparison Example
price1 = 25.99
price2 = 30.50

if price1 < price2:
    print("Item 1 is cheaper!")
elif price1 > price2:
    print("Item 2 is cheaper!")
else:
    print("Both items have the same price!")

# Output: Item 1 is cheaper!

8. Common Mistakes to Avoid

# WRONG (assignment instead of comparison)
if x = 5:  # This will cause a SyntaxError!
    print("x is 5")

# CORRECT (comparison)
if x == 5:
    print("x is 5")

# WRONG
if 5 < 3:  # This is False, not True!
    print("This won't print")

# CORRECT
if 5 > 3:  # This is True
    print("5 is greater than 3")

# WRONG (comparing string with number)
if "10" > 5:  # TypeError in some cases
    print("This may cause an error")

# CORRECT (convert to same type)
if int("10") > 5:  # Convert string to int
    print("10 is greater than 5")

Try It Yourself!

Experiment with relational operators directly in your browser. Modify the code and see the results in real time.

Quick Quiz – Test Your Knowledge

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Frequently Asked Questions

📚 Where to Go From Here

Now that you understand Python relational operators, here are some related topics to explore: