echo Command in Linux: Print Text and Variables

The echo command is one of the most basic and frequently used commands in Linux. It prints its arguments to the standard output.

echo is commonly used in shell scripts to display messages or output the results of other commands. This guide covers the Bash builtin version of echo with practical examples.

Syntax #

echo [OPTIONS] [ARGUMENTS]

echo is a shell builtin in Bash and most other popular shells like Zsh and Ksh. There is also a standalone /usr/bin/echo utility, but the shell builtin version takes precedence.

The available options are:

• -n - Do not output a trailing newline.
• -e - Enable interpretation of backslash escape sequences.
• -E - Disable interpretation of escape sequences (this is the default).

When -e is used, the following escape sequences are recognized:

• \\ - Backslash.
• \a - Alert (BEL).
• \b - Backspace.
• \c - Suppress further output.
• \e - Escape character.
• \f - Form feed.
• \n - New line.
• \r - Carriage return.
• \t - Horizontal tab.
• \v - Vertical tab.

Display a String #

To display a simple line of text, pass it as an argument to echo:

echo Hello, World!

Hello, World!

The command prints the text exactly as it was passed to echo and adds a newline at the end.

Although not required, it is a good practice to enclose arguments in double or single quotes. When using single quotes '', the literal value of each character is preserved and variables are not expanded.

Display Strings with Quotes #

To print a double quote, enclose the text within single quotes or escape it with a backslash:

echo 'Hello "Linuxize"'
echo "Hello \"Linuxize\""

Hello "Linuxize"
Hello "Linuxize"

Both commands print the same text. The first one uses single quotes around the full string, and the second one escapes the double quotes with backslashes.

To print a single quote, enclose the text within double quotes:

echo "I'm a Linux user."

I'm a Linux user.

Because the string is enclosed in double quotes, the single quote is printed as a regular character.

Use Escape Characters #

Use the -e option to enable interpretation of escape sequences. In the following example, we are using \n for a new line and \t for a horizontal tab:

echo -e "You know nothing, Jon Snow.\n\t- Ygritte"

You know nothing, Jon Snow.
	- Ygritte

The \n sequence moves the second part of the text to a new line, and \t adds a tab before the attribution.

Suppress the Trailing Newline #

By default, echo appends a newline character at the end of the output. Use the -n option to suppress it:

echo -n "Hello, " && echo "World!"

Hello, World!

This is useful when building prompts or combining multiple outputs on a single line inside a script.

Display Variables #

echo can display shell variables . In the following example, we are printing the name of the currently logged-in user:

echo "Current user: $USER"

Current user: linuxize

The shell expands $USER before running echo, so the command prints the value of the current user’s login name.

Display Command Output #

Use the $(command) expression to include command output in the echo argument. The following command displays the current date :

echo "The date is: $(date +%D)"

The date is: 04/17/19

The command substitution runs date +%D first, then echo prints the returned date as part of the string.

Use Pattern Matching #

The shell expands wildcard characters before passing arguments to echo. For example, the following command returns the names of all .php files in the current directory:

echo The PHP files are: *.php

The PHP files are: index.php contact.php functions.php

The shell expands *.php to matching filenames before echo receives the arguments.

Redirect Output to a File #

Instead of displaying the output on the screen, you can redirect it to a file using the > or >> operators:

echo "First line" > /tmp/file.txt
echo "Second line" >> /tmp/file.txt

When using >, the file is overwritten. The >> operator appends the output to the file . If the file does not exist, both operators create it.

Use the cat command to verify the contents:

cat /tmp/file.txt

First line
Second line

The output confirms that the first command created the file and the second command appended a new line to it.

Write to Standard Error #

To send output to standard error instead of standard output, redirect file descriptor 1 to 2:

echo "Error: something went wrong" >&2

This is useful in scripts where you need to separate error messages from normal output. For more details, see how to redirect stderr to stdout in Bash .

Display Colored Output #

Use ANSI escape sequences to change the foreground and background colors or set text properties such as bold and underline:

echo -e "\033[1;37mWHITE"
echo -e "\033[0;30mBLACK"
echo -e "\033[0;34mBLUE"
echo -e "\033[0;32mGREEN"
echo -e "\033[0;36mCYAN"
echo -e "\033[0;31mRED"
echo -e "\033[0;35mPURPLE"
echo -e "\033[0;33mYELLOW"
echo -e "\033[1;30mGRAY"

Quick Reference #

FAQ #

What does the echo command do in Linux?
The echo command prints its arguments to standard output. It is most commonly used in shell scripts to display messages, show the value of a variable, or write a line of text to a file. By default, echo also adds a newline at the end of the output.

What is the difference between echo and printf?
echo automatically adds a trailing newline and has limited formatting options. printf supports format specifiers (like %s, %d) and does not add a newline unless you include \n. Use printf when you need precise control over output formatting.

How do I print a newline with echo?
Use the -e option with the \n escape sequence: echo -e "line1\nline2". Without -e, the backslash sequence is printed literally.

How do I echo without a newline?
Use the -n option: echo -n "text". This suppresses the trailing newline character.

Why does echo behave differently on macOS?
echo options and escape handling are not fully portable across shells and systems. Use printf when you need consistent behavior across Linux, macOS, and other Unix-like systems.

Conclusion #

The echo command prints text to the terminal and is one of the most commonly used commands in Bash scripts. Use -n to suppress the trailing newline and -e to interpret escape sequences. For more advanced formatting, consider using printf .

In scripts that need predictable formatting, use echo for simple messages and printf when spacing, newlines, or escape handling must be exact.

About the authors

Dejan Panovski

Dejan Panovski is the founder of Linuxize, an RHCSA-certified Linux system administrator and DevOps engineer based in Skopje, Macedonia. Author of 800+ Linux tutorials with 20+ years of experience turning complex Linux tasks into clear, reliable guides.

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