Print quotes in Python [6 methods]

In this Python tutorial, I will explain how to print quotes in Python using different methods with illustrative examples.

Python, a versatile and widely-used programming language, is often utilized for a variety of tasks, from data science to web development. One fundamental task, especially for those who are new to the language, is printing quotes in a string.

Methods to Print Quotes in Python

Often, we may find ourselves needing to print quotes in Python string. Think of a software that is built to log famous quotations from notable American figures, or perhaps a Python program that generates random popular American movie quotes.

How would we handle the printing of quotes within these Python strings? Let’s dive in.

There are six different ways to print quotes in Python:

  • Use the escape character (\)
  • Using Double Quotes to Enclose Single Quotes
  • Using Single Quotes to Enclose Double Quotes
  • Triple Double Quotes
  • Triple Single Quotes
  • Printing Double Quotes with a String Variable

Let’s see them one by one using demonstrative examples,

Method 1: How to print quotation marks in Python using escape character(\)

In cases where we need to print both single and double quotes in the same string, we can use the escape character (\). This character tells Python to treat the next character as a literal character, rather than an operational one.

For instance, We’re writing a Python program showcasing famous dialogues from the American TV show FRIENDS.

print("In \"Friends\", Joey's catchphrase is: \"How you doin'?\"")

Output: The popular American TV show “Friends” had a recurring line from Joey. To represent both the show’s title and the line in double quotes in Python, we use the escape character.

In "Friends", Joey's catchphrase is: "How you doin'?"
How to Print quotes in Python using escape character

This is the way to use escape characters to print strings as quotes in Python.

Method 2: Print Quotes in a String in Python using double quotes to enclose single quotes

To include single quotes (‘) within a string, you can wrap the entire string with double quotes (“). This method is straightforward and avoids the need for escape characters (\) within the Python string.

Scenario: Imagine we’re building a Python software for tourists that provides quick snippets about major U.S landmarks. A user selects the Statue of Liberty, and the Python software provides an iconic quote.

print("The tablet held by the Statue of Liberty reads, 'July IV MDCCLXXVI'.")

Output: Since the quote itself uses single quotes, we wrap the entire Python string in double quotes to avoid syntax errors.

The tablet held by the Statue of Liberty reads, 'July IV MDCCLXXVI'.
How to Print quotes in Python

This way, we can use double quotes to enclose single quotes strings to print quotes in Python.

Method 3: Using Single Quotes to Enclose Double Quotes to print quotation marks in Python

If our Python string contains double quotes (“), enclose the whole string in single quotes (‘). It provides clarity without the need for escape mechanisms.

For instance, We’re creating an app in Python, showcasing famous American movies. A user wants to highlight a quote from “The Godfather”.

print('Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" said, "I\'m gonna make him an offer he can\'t refuse."')

Output: The name of the movie “The Godfather” and the dialogue are within double quotes. Using single quotes to wrap the entire string, we can incorporate the double quotes without the escape characters in Python.

Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" said, "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."
How to print quotation marks in Python

This way, we can use single quotes to enclose double-quote strings to Print Quotes in a String in Python.

Method 4: Triple Double Quotes to print quotes in Python

In Python, triple-double quotes (""") are used for multi-line strings or strings containing both single and double quotes. They negate the need for escape characters for quotes printing inside the Python string.

For example, A tool that logs multi-line user reviews for American novels through Python. A user reviews “The Great Gatsby”.

review = """
"The Great Gatsby" is an iconic American novel. 
Its portrayal of the 'Roaring Twenties' is both nostalgic and critical.
"""
print(review)

Output: The triple-double quotes let us effortlessly include both single and double quotes in the review, as well as span multiple lines.


"The Great Gatsby" is an iconic American novel. 
Its portrayal of the 'Roaring Twenties' is both nostalgic and critical.
How to Print Quotes in a String in Python

This way we can use triple double quotes to print the Python string quotes.

Method 5: Quoting a Python String Using Triple Single Quotes

Triple single quotes (”’) function in Python similarly to triple double quotes but use single quotes instead. They are handy for multi-line strings or when your string contains both types of quotes.

Scenario: For a music app that plays iconic American songs, when highlighting “American Pie” by Don McLean, a part of the chorus is shown in Python.

lyrics = '''
"Did you write the book of love,
And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?"
- "American Pie" by Don McLean
'''
print(lyrics)

Output:


"Did you write the book of love,
And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?"
- "American Pie" by Don McLean
Print Quotes in Python

This way we can use triple-single quotes to print quotes in Python.

Method 6: Print Double Quotes with a String Variable in Python

The f-string method in Python 3.6+ allows for embedding variables within strings seamlessly. By wrapping the variable in curly braces ({}) and surrounding it with double quotes, we can print the variable with double quotes.

For example, A Python program that prints out the name and capital of a U.S. state. Let’s consider New York for this time.

state = "New York"
capital = "Albany"
print(f'The capital of "{state}" is "{capital}".')

Output: With f-strings, we can seamlessly embed the Python variables (state and capital) within the Python string and use double quotes around them for emphasis.

The capital of "New York" is "Albany".
How to print double quotes with the string variable in Python

Using f-strings we can easily print the string variable as quotes in Python.

Conclusion

This tutorial contains how to print quotes in Python using six different methods such as triple-double quotes, triple-single quotes, or escape characters with demonstrative examples.

Python offers a plethora of methods to handle and print quotes, making it versatile for various textual scenarios. Whether we’re using double quotes, single quotes, or escape sequences, Python provides a straightforward approach to meet our requirements.

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