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What is the difference between an expression and a statement in JavaScript?

Submitted by: @import:30-seconds-of-code·Mar 2, 2026·

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Problem

JavaScript distinguishes expressions and statements. An expression is any valid unit of code that resolves to a value. A statement is a unit of code that performs an action. Some examples:
Anywhere JavaScript expects a statement, you can also write an expression. This kind of statement is called an expression statement. Conversely, you cannot write a statement where JavaScript expects an expression.

Solution

// Statements
let x = 0;
function add(a, b) { return a + b; }
if (true) { console.log('Hi'); }

// Expressions
x;          // Resolves to 0
3 + x;      // Resolves to 3
add(1, 2);  // Resolves to 3

Code Snippets

// Statements
let x = 0;
function add(a, b) { return a + b; }
if (true) { console.log('Hi'); }

// Expressions
x;          // Resolves to 0
3 + x;      // Resolves to 3
add(1, 2);  // Resolves to 3

Context

From 30-seconds-of-code: expression-statement

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