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Python Escape Characters

An escape character is a backslash pair that stands for one hard-to-type character. The pair \n stands for a new line.

Start a new line

The \n pair tells Python to break the line at that spot.

print("Line one\nLine two")

Add a tab space

The \t pair jumps to the next tab stop, like the Tab key.

print("Name:\tAda")

Show a backslash

One backslash starts an escape pair. So you write it twice to show one real backslash.

print("C:\\Users\\Ada")

Quotes inside quotes

A backslash before a quote lets that quote sit inside the string.

print("She said \"Hello\"")
print('It\'s fine')

Raw strings keep backslashes

A raw string starts with the letter r, so escape pairs stay as plain text inside it. Later courses use raw strings for file paths and patterns.

print(r"C:\new\test")

Example

poem = "Roses are red,\n\tviolets are blue,\n\t\tPython is fun."
print(poem)

Key points

  • Escape character: a backslash pair that stands for one hard-to-type character
  • Use \n for a new line and \t for a tab space
  • Use \\ to show one real backslash in your text
  • Use r before a string to make it a raw string, where backslash pairs stay as plain text

In this example, poem holds one string with three lines inside it. Each \n starts a new line. Each \t adds a tab space at the start of a line. The second line has one tab, and the third line has two. print shows the poem just as the escape pairs describe it.

Note

A pair like \d is not a real escape.

Python warns you about it and keeps both characters.

Try it Yourself

Edit the code, then press Run.

Running is simulated · Python Playground

Exercise

Which escape pair starts a new line?