How to use operators

Updated September 2026 · Beginner-friendly guide

Use arithmetic operators

Java provides addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and remainder operators.

int a = 10;
int b = 3;
System.out.println(a + b);
System.out.println(a / b); // 3
System.out.println(a % b); // 1

Dividing two integers produces an integer. Convert an operand to double when a fractional result is needed.

double average = (double) 10 / 3;
System.out.println(average);

Comparison operators produce booleans. Use ==, !=, <, <=, >, and >=.

int age = 20;
boolean adult = age >= 18;
boolean exact = age == 20;

&& means and, || means or, and ! means not. The first two short-circuit when the result is already known.

boolean hasTicket = true;
int age = 17;
boolean canEnter = hasTicket && age >= 16;