Python import Statement — 4 Syntaxes Made Easy

Relatable analogy: Think of modules as apps on your phone. import is how you install or open the app so you can use its features.

Use the playground and quiz at the bottom to try all four syntaxes yourself.

What you will learn

• What import really means — connect, not copy
• 4 import syntax variations with visuals
• How to access features with module.name or alias.name
• How Python resolves names behind the scenes
• Common mistakes and the golden rule

Bring another Python file into your program

import does not copy code — it creates a connection so you can use another module's variables, functions, and classes.

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What does import really mean?

Imagine these are apps installed on your phone:

Your Python program opens whichever app it needs:

Simple definition: import connects your program to another Python file.

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The 4 import syntaxes

We learn them one by one below.

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Syntax 1 — import one module

Think of opening one app.

import bankinfo

print(bankinfo.BNAME)
bankinfo.simple_interest(100000, 2, 10)

Rule: Always use the module name before the feature → module.feature

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Syntax 2 — import multiple modules

Open multiple apps together.

import bankinfo, arithops

print(bankinfo.BNAME)
arithops.sumop(10, 20)

Same rule: module.feature for every access.

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Syntax 3 — import with alias

Sometimes names are long. Give them a nickname.

import mathconstants as mc

print(mc.PI)
print(mc.E)

Alias = shorter module name. Access through the alias, not the original filename.

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Syntax 4 — multiple modules + aliases

This is simply Syntax 2 + Syntax 3 combined.

import bankinfo as bi, arithops as ao

print(bi.BNAME)
ao.subop(10, 20)

Or on separate lines — same idea:

import bankinfo as bi
import arithops as ao

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How Python resolves names

This is what actually happens behind the scenes.

The alias points to the module, not to individual functions.

When you write ao.sumop(10, 20):

1. Python finds the module bound to ao
2. Looks up sumop inside that module
3. Calls the function

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Comparison table

Syntax	Form	Access pattern
1	import mod	mod.feature
2	import mod1, mod2	mod1.feature, mod2.feature
3	import mod as alias	alias.feature
4	import mod1 as a, mod2 as b	a.feature, b.feature

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Important rule

With import, you can alias module names only — not individual variables or functions inside the module.

To rename specific functions or variables, use from … import (next lesson).

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Common mistakes

Wrong	Correct
sumop(10, 20)	arithops.sumop(10, 20)
PI	mathconstants.PI
ao = sumop	import arithops as ao
Typo in module name	Filename must match: import bankinfo needs bankinfo.py

Golden rule: After import, use module.feature (or alias.feature).

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Interview memory card

Remember this sentence: import loads the module, and you access everything using module.feature or alias.feature.

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Key takeaways

• Phone-apps analogy — import opens the module you need
• Syntax 1 — one module: import bankinfo → bankinfo.BNAME
• Syntax 2 — comma list: import bankinfo, arithops
• Syntax 3 — alias: import mathconstants as mc → mc.PI
• Syntax 4 — combine both: import bankinfo as bi, arithops as ao
• Next: from … import — pull individual names without the module prefix

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Next lesson

The next topic is from … import …, where you import individual functions directly:

from arithops import sumop

sumop(10, 20)  # no arithops. prefix needed

That removes the need to write the module prefix every time.