Vim Delete and Change — d, c, x, r, s Operators

The Operator+Motion Pattern

Vim's editing power comes from composing operators with motions:

{operator}{motion}

Delete Operator (d)

Command	Action
x	Delete character under cursor
X	Delete character before cursor
dw	Delete from cursor to next word start
de	Delete from cursor to end of word
db	Delete backward to start of word
dd	Delete entire line
d$ or D	Delete to end of line
d0	Delete to beginning of line
dG	Delete from current line to end of file
dgg	Delete from current line to beginning of file
d}	Delete to next paragraph

Change Operator (c)

Change works exactly like delete, but enters Insert mode after:

Command	Action
cw	Change to end of word
cc or S	Change entire line
c$ or C	Change to end of line
c0	Change to beginning of line
cb	Change backward to start of word

Single Character Operations

Key	Action
r{char}	Replace character under cursor with char
R	Enter Replace mode (overwrite as you type)
s	Substitute character (delete + enter Insert)

Counts

Add a count before any command to repeat it:

• 3dd — Delete 3 lines
• 5x — Delete 5 characters
• 2cw — Change 2 words