Java Academy · Lesson

The Ternary Operator

condition ? a : b.

What Is the Ternary Operator?

The ternary operator is Java's only operator that takes three operands. It is a compact way to choose between two values based on a condition.

Its shape is: condition ? valueIfTrue : valueIfFalse.

It produces a value, so you can assign it or pass it directly.

int age = 20;
String status = age >= 18 ? "adult" : "minor";

The first part is a boolean condition. The ? separates it from the results.

If the condition is true, the expression evaluates to the part before :. If false, it evaluates to the part after :.

Only one of the two branches is actually evaluated.

int score = 45;
String result = score >= 50 ? "pass" : "fail";