How do I jump to the start or end of a C-style comment block?

Explanation

Vim provides two motions for navigating C-style block comments (/* ... */): [/ moves the cursor to the start of the previous /* comment, and ]/ moves to the end of the next */ comment. These are particularly useful when working in C, C++, Java, or any language with block comments.

How it works

• [/ — Move backward to the nearest /* (comment open)
• ]/ — Move forward to the nearest */ (comment close)
• Both accept a count prefix: 2[/ jumps to the second previous comment start
• The motions work in Normal and Visual mode, allowing you to select entire comment blocks

Example

Given this C code with cursor anywhere on line 5:

int add(int a, int b) {
    /* This function adds
       two integers and
       returns the result. */
    return a + b;
}

Pressing [/ moves the cursor to the /* on line 2. Pressing ]/ from there moves to the */ on line 4.

To visually select the entire comment block from outside it, use [/v]/ — jump to the start, enter Visual mode, then extend to the end.

Tips

• [* and ]* are aliases for [/ and ]/ respectively
• To delete a comment block: position before it, then d]/ deletes from cursor to the end of the next comment
• These motions only recognise /* */ style comments, not // line comments
• Use :help [/ or :help ]/* to confirm behaviour for your Vim version