How to Concatenate with Line Breaks

Updated 14 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

This guide shows you how to join text strings with line breaks in spreadsheets, programming, and text editors. You’ll learn the exact formulas and escape sequences to insert a newline character between values, so your output appears on separate lines instead of one long string.

What You’ll Need

A spreadsheet application (Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc) or a code editor (VS Code, Notepad++, or any text editor)
Basic familiarity with typing formulas or code
Data you want to combine (e.g., first and last names, addresses, list items)

Step-by-Step

Identify your data and target output. Decide which cells or variables you want to join and where the line breaks should appear. For example, combining an address might look like: “123 Main St” + newline + “Springfield, IL”.
Choose your tool. The method differs by platform. For spreadsheets, use the CONCATENATE function or the ampersand (&) operator. For programming, use string concatenation with escape sequences.
In Excel or Google Sheets, use the CHAR function for line breaks. In Excel, CHAR(10) creates a line feed (LF). In Google Sheets, CHAR(10) also works. For example, to combine A1 and B1 with a line break: =A1&CHAR(10)&B1. In Excel, you must enable “Wrap Text” on the cell to see the break.
In LibreOffice Calc, use CHAR(10) as well. The formula is the same: =A1&CHAR(10)&B1. Enable “Wrap Text” from the Format Cells dialog.
In Python, use the newline escape sequence \n. For example: combined = "First line" + "\n" + "Second line". Or use f-strings: f"{first}\n{second}".
In JavaScript, use \n inside strings. Example: let combined = "First line" + "\n" + "Second line"; Or template literals: `First line\nSecond line`.
In text editors (like Notepad++ or VS Code), use the replace function. To insert a line break, search for a placeholder (e.g., a comma) and replace with \n if using regex, or use the editor’s special character insertion (often Ctrl+Enter in the replace field).
Test your output. After concatenating, check that the line break appears where expected. In spreadsheets, if the cell doesn’t show multiple lines, check that “Wrap Text” is enabled.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to enable wrap text in spreadsheets. Without it, the line break character is invisible and the text appears on one line.
Using the wrong character code. CHAR(13) is carriage return (CR), which may not create a new line in all contexts. Stick with CHAR(10) for line feed.
Using single quotes in programming. In many languages, \n is only interpreted inside double quotes. In Python, both single and double quotes work, but in JavaScript, single quotes also work. However, in C-like languages, single quotes denote a character, not a string.
Not escaping the backslash. In some contexts, a literal backslash followed by ‘n’ might appear if you use double backslashes. Ensure you use a single backslash.
Mixing up line break types. Windows often uses CRLF (\r\n), while Unix/macOS uses LF (\n). If you need compatibility, consider using \r\n.

Tips

Use the ampersand operator for quick concatenation in spreadsheets. It’s shorter and easier to read than CONCATENATE.
In Excel, you can also use the CONCAT function (newer) which is more flexible. For example: =CONCAT(A1, CHAR(10), B1).
In programming, use template literals (backticks) for multi-line strings. In JavaScript, you can write:
let combined = `First line Second line`;
This preserves actual line breaks in the code.
When building a CSV or text export, consider using \r\n for Windows compatibility. Many applications expect CRLF.
Test with a simple example first. Concatenate two short strings to verify the method works before applying it to large datasets.

Troubleshooting

Line break not showing in Excel/Sheets: Enable “Wrap Text” (Home tab > Wrap Text). If still not visible, try using CHAR(10) and ensure the cell height is enough.
Seeing “\n” literally in output: This means the escape sequence is not being interpreted. In programming, check that you’re using double quotes (or the correct quote type) and that the string is not raw (e.g., in Python, a raw string r”\n” will show literal).
Line break appears as a square or weird character: This indicates the font or application doesn’t support line feed. Try changing the font or using a different character.
In Notepad++, replace not working: Ensure “Regular expression” is selected in the Replace dialog, and use \n (or \r\n) in the “Replace with” field.
Concatenated result is too long and gets truncated: In spreadsheets, check cell character limit (32,767 for Excel). For large data, consider using a scripting language.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use CONCATENATE with line breaks in Excel?

Yes, you can use =CONCATENATE(A1, CHAR(10), B1). Remember to enable Wrap Text to see the break.

How do I add a line break in Google Sheets?

Use =A1&CHAR(10)&B1 or =CONCATENATE(A1, CHAR(10), B1). Also enable Wrap Text.

What’s the difference between \n and \r\n?

\n is a line feed (LF) used on Unix/Linux/macOS. \r\n is a carriage return + line feed (CRLF) used on Windows. Some applications need CRLF to display correctly.

How do I insert a line break in a Python string?

Use the escape sequence \n inside a string: "line1\nline2". Or use triple quotes for multi-line strings.

Can I concatenate with line breaks in SQL?

Yes, use the concatenation operator (||) or CONCAT function, and include CHAR(10) for line feed. Example: SELECT col1 || CHAR(10) || col2 FROM table;

Why does my line break show as a space in CSV?

CSV files often treat line breaks as record separators. To include a line break within a field, you need to enclose the field in double quotes. Many spreadsheet applications handle this automatically when exporting.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.