Boolean logic in Excel: AND(), OR(), NOT(), XOR() and IF
Excel writes Boolean logic as functions: AND(), OR(), NOT() and XOR() take any number of arguments, and IF() turns the result into a value. In Spanish-language Excel the same functions are Y(), O(), NO(), XO() and SI().
| Logic | Excel (EN) | Excel (ES) |
|---|---|---|
NOT A | =NOT(A1) | =NO(A1) |
A AND B | =AND(A1, B1) | =Y(A1; B1) |
A OR B | =OR(A1, B1) | =O(A1; B1) |
A XOR B | =XOR(A1, B1) | =XO(A1; B1) |
A -> B | =OR(NOT(A1), B1) | =O(NO(A1); B1) |
A <-> B | =A1=B1 | =A1=B1 |
TRUE, FALSE | TRUE, FALSE | VERDADERO, FALSO |
=AND(A1, B1) is A AND B, =OR(A1, B1, C1) is a three-input OR, and =NOT(A1) negates. Because the functions take argument lists, precedence never arises: the nesting is the grouping, and =OR(A1, AND(B1, C1)) can only mean A OR (B AND C). =XOR(A1, B1, C1) is TRUE when an odd number of its arguments are TRUE, which is the same parity reading as the engine's XOR chain, and the same reason it is not “exactly one”.
Excel coerces: in these functions the number 0 counts as FALSE and any other number as TRUE, while a text cell containing the word TRUE is text, not a Boolean, and is ignored by AND in a range. Comparison operators return Booleans (=A1>5), and = between two Booleans is the biconditional while <> is exclusive or. There is no implication; write =OR(NOT(A1), B1).
Tangibool does not export Excel formulas. The CSV export of a truth table opens in Excel directly, which is the practical route: compute the table from the rule, then compare it against a column of IF() formulas to find the rows where the spreadsheet disagrees. The decision-table pages describe that workflow for testers.
The common slip
Expecting =XOR(A1, B1, C1) to mean exactly one of three. With three TRUE arguments it returns TRUE, because three is odd. Write the three cases out, or test the formula against the engine's table for the function you meant.
Questions
Why does the Spanish version use semicolons?
Because Spanish locales use the comma as the decimal separator, so the argument separator becomes a semicolon. The function names are localised as well: Y, O, NO, XO, SI.
Can I paste an Excel formula into Tangibool?
Not as it stands: AND(A1, B1) is read as a call to an unknown definition. Translate to A AND B with named inputs, which also makes the rule readable to someone who does not know the sheet.
Related
See also
- XOR of three inputs is odd parity, not “exactly one”
- XOR gate: truth table for 2, 3 and 4 inputs (odd parity, not “exactly one”)
- Decision table vs truth table: when to use which
- Deriving test cases from a truth table without testing every row
- Boolean logic in SQL: AND, OR, NOT and the NULL three-valued trap
- Truth table generator: any Boolean expression, up to 12 variables, with intermediate columns
Languages
Generated from the Tangibool engine, semantics tangibool-semantics/1, engine 1.0.0, build . Every table, map, simplification and verdict on these pages was computed by the Tangibool engine when the site was built, and every claim was re-checked by the same exact checker the app uses. Limits are stated where they apply. © 2026 Foreranger LTD.