Elif or Else-If Statement in Python

In this Python tutorial, we will learn about the if-elif conditional statement, its syntax, and how to use it in programming with the help of examples covering some typical use cases.

Python – Elif

Python Elif is a conditional statement in which there could be multiple conditional checks after if block.

Python elif is an extension to Python if-else statement, which we have discussed in our previous tutorial.

Syntax of Python elif

The syntax of Python Else If, elif statement is as shown in the following.

if expression_1:
    statement(s)
 elif expression_2:
    statement(s)
 elif expression_3:
    statement(s)
 else:
    statement(s)

If expression_1 evaluates to TRUE, then the if-block statements gets executed and the control comes out of the if-elif ladder.

If expression_1 evaluates to FALSE, the control checks expression_2. If expression_2 evaluates to TRUE, statement(s) in the corresponding block are executed. If expression_2 evaluates to False, the control checks expression_3 and so on.

If none of the expressions evaluates to TRUE, then the else-block gets executed. else-block is optional though.

Examples

1. Python Elif Statement

In the following example, we will write a Python elif statement, where we check what is today and do an action based on the day of week.

Python Program

today='Monday'

if today=='Sunday':
	print('eat apple.')
elif today=='Monday' or today=='Tuesday':
	print('eat banana.')
elif today=='Wednesday':
	print('eat cherry.')
elif today=='Thursday':
	print('eat mango.')
else:
	print('eat nothing.')

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Output

eat banana.

2. Python Elif Statement without else block

We already know that else block is optional.

In the following example, we will write a Python elif statement without else block.

Python Program

today='Monday'

if today=='Sunday':
	print('eat apple.')
elif today=='Monday' or today=='Tuesday':
	print('eat banana.')
elif today=='Wednesday':
	print('eat cherry.')
elif today=='Thursday':
	print('eat mango.')

Try Online

Output

eat banana.

Conclusion

In this Python Tutorial, we learned Python elif statement: the syntax of elif and how to use it in Python programs with the help of example programs.