# `type`


_Type of an object_
```syntax
type x    type[x]
```

Where `x` is any object, returns its [type](../basics/datatypes.md).

The type is a short int: 

-    zero for a general list
-    negative for atoms of basic datatypes
-    positive for everything else
```q
q)type 5                        / integer atom
-7h
q)type 2 3 5                    / integer vector
7h
q)type (2 3 5;"hello")          / general list
0h
q)type ()                       / general list
0h
q)type each (2;3 5;"hello")     / int atom; int vector; string
-7 7 10h
q)type (+)                      / function
102h
q)type (0|+)                    / composition
105h
```

----


[`key`](key.md#type-of-a-vector),
[.Q.ty](dotq.md#ty-type)


[Casting and encoding](../basics/by-topic.md#casting-and-encoding),
[Datatypes](../basics/datatypes.md)