What is the Subtract function in Excel? 6 Useful ways you shouldn’t miss out

Instead of having to perform manual subtractions, you only need to use the subtract function in Excel to calculate automatically. Therefore, you will not have to worry about complex subtractions. Let’s explore more about the subtraction function!

What is the subtract function in Excel?

In Excel, the subtract function is usually the function that uses the minus operator (-). This minus operator is used to subtract the value of a cell or a range of cells in your Excel worksheet. In general, the subtract function is quite easy to use and is very essential for you when working with spreadsheets. Being proficient in using it helps you save time for other tasks. This is particularly useful for students, students or office workers who often use Excel on a PC, laptop.

The most common subtract formulas

The subtract function can be used in different ways, such as:

1. Using the Operator

The minus operator is quite simple, you just need to perform a few steps as follows:

• Step 1: You hover over any cell in the worksheet.

• Step 2: Enter the equal sign (=) before the subtraction operation and then enter “subtrahend – minuend”. Example: =200-100.

• Step 3: Press Enter and the operation result will be displayed immediately.

Besides, you can also subtract the value in 2 different cells to get quick results.

2. Subtract multiple cells at the same time

Similarly to subtracting values in 2 cells, you can subtract values in multiple cells at the same time. This is a very convenient calculation for cases where the Excel table has many different parameters.

• Step 1: Click on the cell where you want to see the result of the subtraction, then enter the formula “=cell to be subtracted – subtracted cell 1 – subtracted cell 2 – …”. For example: =A1-B1-C1-D1

• Step 2: Press Enter to get the subtraction function result.

3. Use the SUM function to subtract

Although SUM is a sum function, you can also use it to calculate the sum of a range of values and then subtract it from another value. Or subtract another value from SUM.

• Step 1: Double-click to select the cell where you want to display the result of the subtraction, then enter the SUM function (select the range of cells you want to sum). Then continue to enter “-” to subtract another value in another cell.

• Step 3: Finally, press Enter to get the result.

4. Subtract by percentage

The subtract function in Excel can subtract values with a unit of percentage as usual. Besides, if the values do not have %, you just need to add them.

• Step 1: Click on any cell in the Excel sheet where you want to see the subtraction result.
• Step 2: Enter the formula “=subtrahend – minuend 1 – minuend 2 – … ” as the instructions above.

• Step 3: Press the Enter key to receive the subtraction percentage result.

5. Subtracting dates in Excel

To subtract dates in Excel, you can use the subtraction operator to know the time frame between two time points.

• Step 1: In an empty cell, enter the start date in one cell (e.g. A1) and the end date in another cell (e.g. B1).
• Step 2: In the cell where you want to display the result, use the operator to subtract the end date from the start date. (=A1-B1)

• Step 3: Press Enter to display the result, which is the number of days between the two dates.

Note that you need to ensure that the cells are formatted as “Date” format in order to perform the subtraction.

6. Subtracting characters

You can use functions and formulas to perform operations related to characters or text. If you want to remove a specific character from a text string, you can use the SUBSTITUTE function.

For example, to remove the comma (,) character from cell A1, you can use the following formula: =SUBSTITUTE(A1, “,”, “”)

Additional information about the subtract function you should know

• The result of the subtraction can be formatted as desired by using formatting options (decimal places, comma as thousand separators, …).
• You can combine the subtract operator with other functions to perform more complex calculations.
• You need to understand the formula because if there is an error value, Excel may display “#VALUE!” or “#DIV/0!”

Conclusion

The information about the subtract function in Excel has surely helped you understand more about the operations performed on the spreadsheet. Always understand how to use the formulas correctly to save even more time for yourself!

• How to use Excel: 5 most basic functions for beginners
• Introduction to the RIGHT function and how to use it in Excel