How do I move backward to a character on the current line?
F{char}
The F command moves the cursor backward to the previous occurrence of a specified character on the current line.
Tag: motions
How do I jump between misspelled words in Vim?
]s and [s
How it works When spell checking is enabled in Vim with :set spell, misspelled words are highlighted.
How do I jump to the global definition of a variable or function in Vim?
gD
How it works Vim provides two built-in commands for jumping to where an identifier is defined, without needing tags or an LSP: gd (lowercase) searches backward
How do I jump between sentences in Vim?
( and )
How it works Vim defines a sentence as text ending with .
How do I scroll a full page up or down in Vim?
<C-f> to scroll forward, <C-b> to scroll backward
How it works Vim provides two commands for scrolling by an entire screen (page) at a time: Ctrl-F (Forward) scrolls the view one full page down through the file
How do I navigate by WORD boundaries that include punctuation in Vim?
W, B, and E
How it works Vim distinguishes between two types of word objects: A word (lowercase w, b, e) is a sequence of letters, digits, and underscores, or a sequence of
How do I visually select from the cursor to the matching bracket or parenthesis?
v%
How it works The % motion jumps to the matching bracket, parenthesis, or brace.
How do I move the cursor to the middle or bottom of the visible screen?
M to move to the middle, L to move to the bottom
How it works Vim offers three commands to jump the cursor to specific vertical positions on the visible screen without scrolling: H moves to the top of the scre
How do I search for a pattern and land on a specific line offset from the match?
/pattern/+N or /pattern/-N
Vim's search command accepts an offset that places your cursor on a line relative to the match.
How do I jump back and forth between my two most recent cursor positions?
<C-o> / <C-i>
Vim maintains a jumplist — a history of every "jump" you make (searches, marks, gg, G, %, etc.
How do I jump to a specific column number on the current line?
{N}|
The command (pipe character) moves the cursor to a specific column number on the current line.
How do I move by visible screen lines instead of actual lines?
gj / gk
When a long line wraps across multiple screen rows, the regular j and k motions skip the entire logical line.
How do I navigate and operate on sentences and paragraphs in Vim?
( / ) / { / }
Vim treats sentences and paragraphs as first-class navigation units.
navigation #navigation #motions #text-objects #prose #editing
How do I force a motion to act blockwise, linewise, or characterwise?
d<C-v>2j
Vim lets you override the natural type of any motion by pressing v, V, or between the operator and the motion.
editing #editing #motions #visual-mode #advanced #normal-mode
How do I get more powerful text objects for quotes, brackets, and arguments in Vim?
cin)
The targets.
How do I jump to any location on screen using a two-character search in Vim?
s{char}{char}
The vim-sneak plugin by Justin Keyes provides a motion that lets you jump to any visible location by typing just two characters.
How do I jump to any visible word or character on screen instantly in Vim?
<Leader><Leader>w
The vim-easymotion plugin replaces Vim's default motion commands with a visual overlay system that lets you jump to any visible position on screen in just two o
How do I land the cursor a few lines above or below a search match?
/pattern/+3
Vim's search command accepts an offset after the pattern that shifts where the cursor lands relative to the match.
How do I search for the word under the cursor without whole-word boundaries?
g*
The g command searches forward for the text under the cursor without adding word boundary anchors.
search #search #navigation #normal-mode #motions #productivity
How do I repeat the last f, t, F, or T character search on a line?
; / ,
After using f, t, F, or T to jump to a character on the current line, pressing ; repeats the same search in the same direction, and , repeats it in the opposite
navigation #navigation #motions #normal-mode #editing #productivity