N
Information
Converts a value to a number. Returns 0 for text, 1 for TRUE, 0 for FALSE.
Translations
EnglishN
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PolishN
RussianЧ
TurkishN
CzechN
HungarianN
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FinnishN
Syntax
N(value)Arguments
valueValue to convert
Examples
=N(TRUE)1
TRUE becomes 1
=N("Hello")0
Text becomes 0
=N(42)42
Numbers stay as-is
Tips & Best Practices
- •Rarely needed in modern Excel
- •Dates return serial number
- •Errors return the error
Common Mistakes
- •Expecting N to convert text into a usable number the way VALUE does - it actually returns 0 for any text, not an attempted numeric conversion
- •Using N on a logical value and being surprised by the result - TRUE converts to 1 and FALSE converts to 0, which is useful but easy to forget
- •Applying N to a date, expecting the displayed date back - it returns the date's underlying serial number instead, since dates are stored as numbers internally
Related Functions
VALUEActually attempts to parse text into a genuine number, unlike N which simply returns 0 for any text.TPerforms roughly the opposite of N - returns text unchanged but converts everything else, including numbers, to an empty string.ISNUMBERChecks whether a value is already numeric, a more direct check than relying on N's conversion behavior.Frequently Asked Questions
What does N do with text?
It always returns 0 - N doesn't attempt to parse or convert text into a number the way VALUE does.
What does N return for TRUE and FALSE?
TRUE becomes 1 and FALSE becomes 0, which can be useful for turning logical results into numbers for further calculation.
Why does N return a large number when I apply it to a date?
Dates are stored internally as serial numbers, and N returns that underlying number rather than a formatted date.
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