Difference between / vs. // operator in Python Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report In Python, both / and // are used for division, but they behave quite differently. Let's dive into what they do and how they differ with simple examples./ Operator (True Division)The / operator performs true division.It always returns a floating-point number (even if the result is a whole number).It keeps the decimal (fractional) part.Example: Python res = 10 / 3 print(res) print(type(res)) Output3.3333333333333335 <class 'float'> Explanation:Dividing 10 by 3 gives 3.333..., and / keeps the fractional partData-type of res is float.// Operator (Floor Division)The // operator performs floor division.It returns the largest integer less than or equal to the division result.It truncates (removes) the decimal part and rounds down towards negative infinity.Example: Python res = 10 // 3 print(res) print(type(res)) Output3 <class 'int'> Explanation:The actual division result is 3.333..., but // drops everything after the decimal, giving 3.Data-type of res here is int.Comparison between '/' and '//' FeatureDivision Operator (/)Floor Divsion Operator (//)Return TypeFloating-point. Returns in integer only if the result is an integer Integer Fractional PartReturns the fractional part Truncates the fractional partExamples10 / 3 = 3.333333...10 / 5 = 2.05 / 2 = 2.5-17 / 5 = -3.4-17 / -5 = 3.410 // 3 = 310 // 5 = 25 // 2 = 2-17 // 5 = -4-17 // -5 = 3Related articles: Python, Python Operators. Comment More infoAdvertise with us M magichat Follow Improve Article Tags : Python Explore Python FundamentalsPython Introduction 3 min read Input and Output in Python 4 min read Python Variables 5 min read Python Operators 5 min read Python Keywords 2 min read Python Data Types 8 min read Conditional Statements in Python 3 min read Loops in Python - For, While and Nested Loops 7 min read Python Functions 5 min read Recursion in Python 6 min read Python Lambda Functions 5 min read Python Data StructuresPython String 5 min read Python Lists 5 min read Python Tuples 4 min read Dictionaries in Python 3 min read Python Sets 6 min read Python Arrays 7 min read List Comprehension in Python 4 min read Advanced PythonPython OOP Concepts 10 min read Python Exception Handling 6 min read File Handling in Python 4 min read Python Database Tutorial 4 min read Python MongoDB Tutorial 2 min read Python MySQL 9 min read Python Packages 12 min read Python Modules 7 min read Python DSA Libraries 15 min read List of Python GUI Library and Packages 11 min read Data Science with PythonNumPy Tutorial - Python Library 3 min read Pandas Tutorial 6 min read Matplotlib Tutorial 5 min read Python Seaborn Tutorial 15+ min read StatsModel Library- Tutorial 4 min read Learning Model Building in Scikit-learn 8 min read TensorFlow Tutorial 2 min read PyTorch Tutorial 7 min read Web Development with PythonFlask Tutorial 8 min read Django Tutorial | Learn Django Framework 7 min read Django ORM - Inserting, Updating & Deleting Data 4 min read Templating With Jinja2 in Flask 6 min read Django Templates 7 min read Python | Build a REST API using Flask 3 min read How to Create a basic API using Django Rest Framework ? 4 min read Python PracticePython Quiz 3 min read Python Coding Practice 1 min read Python Interview Questions and Answers 15+ min read Like