Variables are used to store values that can be used later in your code. Think of a variable as a name that points to an object. You can give a variable any name you want, as long as it follows certain rules. To assign a value to a variable, you use the equals sign (`=`). Here's an example:
my_variable = 10 print(my_variable) # output: 10
10
In this example, we created a variable called `my_variable` and assigned it the value of `10`. Now, whenever we refer to `my_variable` in our code, it will have the value of `10`. The [print function](/tutorials/print) is used to display the variable on screen. You can also assign different types of values to variables. For example, you can assign a string (a sequence of characters) to a variable:
my_name = "John" print(my_name) # output: John
John
In this case, `my_name` is a variable that holds the value `"John"`. You can use this variable later in your code to refer to the string `"John"`. You can also assign the result of an expression to a variable. For example:
x = 5 + 3 print(x) # output: 8
8
In this case, `x` is a variable that holds the value `8`, which is the result of the expression `5 + 3`. Variables can be changed or updated throughout your code. You can assign a new value to a variable by simply using the equals sign again:
x = 10 x = x + 5 print(x) # output: 15
15
In this example, we first assign the value `10` to `x`. Then, we update `x` by adding `5` to its current value. After this code runs, `x` will have the value `15`. Variables point to objects. Objects can be of various types, like [numbers](/tutorials/numbers), [strings](/tutorials/str), [booleans](/tutorials/bool), [lists](/tutorials/list), etc.