Check if a list is empty or not in Python (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 24 Oct, 2024

In article we will explore the different ways to check if a list is empty with simple examples. The simplest way to check if a list is empty is by using Python's **not operator.

Using not operator

The **not operator is the simplest way to see if a list is empty. It returns **True if the list is empty and **False if it has any items.

Python `

a = [] if not a: print("The list is empty") else: print("The list is not empty")

`

**Explanation:

• **not **a returns **True because the list is empty.
• If there were items in the list, **not a would be **False.

Table of Content

• Using len()
• Using Boolean Evaluation Directly
• Frequently Asked Questions to Check List is Empty or Not

Using len()

We can also use **len() function to see if a list is empty by checking if its length is zero.

Python `

a = [] if len(a) == 0: print("The list is empty") else: print("The list is not empty")

`

**Explanation: len(a) returns **0 for an empty list.

Using Boolean Evaluation Directly

Lists can be directly evaluated in conditions. **Python considers an empty list as False.

Python `

a = [] if a: print("The list is not empty") else: print("The list is empty")

`

**Explanation: An empty list evaluates as **False in the if condition, so it prints "The list is empty".