level 08

Multipliers

Prefix almost any command with a count to repeat it.

Stick a number in front of almost any command and Vim does it that many times. 5j, 3dd, d4w. That’s the entire feature, and it’s the cheapest power you’ll ever buy: nothing new to memorize, you just say how many before you say what. Stop mashing j ten times like it’s an arrow key.

Basic Examples

5j     → move down 5 lines
3dd    → delete 3 lines
2yy    → yank 2 lines
d3w    → delete 3 words
5x     → delete 5 characters
4>>    → indent 4 lines

How It Composes

The pattern is [count] operator [count] motion, and Vim multiplies the counts:

2d3w   → delete 6 words (2 × 3)

The mental model shifts from “repeat this action” to “do this action at this scale.” Combined with the dot command, multipliers give you precise control over bulk edits.

Multiplied movement

  1. From the top, press 5j — land on line 6.
  2. Press 3k — back to line 3.
  3. Press 8G — jump to line 8.
  4. Press 3j, then 2k.
normalpress i to type · hjkl to move

goal Use number prefixes instead of repeated single presses.

Multiplied deletion and yank

  1. On the const c line, press 3dd — deletes three lines.
  2. Undo.
  3. On line 1, press 2yy, then G and p to paste at the end.
  4. On any const, press d3w to delete three words forward.
normalpress i to type · hjkl to move

goal 3dd, 2yy, and d3w act at scale in one command.

Multiplied word navigation

  1. Press 0, then 3w — jump three words forward.
  2. Press 5w, then 4b to come back.
  3. Press 2e to land on the end of the second word forward.
normalpress i to type · hjkl to move

goal Multiplied w/b/e beats pressing them repeatedly.

Multiplied indentation

  1. On the .select line (line 2), press 5>> — indents five lines in one stroke. The whole chain lines up under const query.
  2. Undo with u. Now press >> alone — only the current line moves. The count is what scales it.
  3. Redo your indent. To go deeper, repeat the operator: >> again pushes the current line one more level. Count picks how many lines; repetition picks how many levels.
normalpress i to type · hjkl to move

goal A count before >> indents that many lines at once — not one line that many levels.

Combined challenge

  1. Delete the first 5 error: lines with 5dd.
  2. Undo. Go to the first warning: line and press 2dd.
  3. Undo. From line 1, jump to the last line with a single 8j.
  4. Select the last 2 lines with V1j and indent with >.
normalpress i to type · hjkl to move

goal One multiplied command per task — no repeated pressing.