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Math function
TRUNC
Drops the decimal part of a number without rounding.
CommonDifficulty 1000 · CapableUsage rank #142 of 520
When to use it
Cuts a number off at a given number of decimals without rounding. With no digits argument it removes the decimals entirely, toward zero for both positive and negative numbers.
The shape of it
- Syntax
=TRUNC(number, [num_digits])
Worked examples
Drop decimals
=TRUNC(8.9) → 8
Decimals dropped.
Negative input
=TRUNC(-8.9) → -8
Toward zero, unlike INT.
Keep two decimals
=TRUNC(3.14159,2) → 3.14
Keeps two decimals, no rounding.
Worth knowing
- TRUNC is the safe way to strip decimals from values that can be negative.
- TRUNC(A1) on a timestamp returns the date, the same as INT for positive serials.
- For display only, a number format is cheaper than a helper column.
Where it goes wrong
- TRUNC never rounds, so 3.999 becomes 3.99 with two digits, which can look like an error next to ROUND.
- Negative digits truncate to the left of the decimal: TRUNC(1234,-2) is 1200.
Related
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