CSS :nth-child() Selector Last Updated : 11 Jul, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report The :nth-child() pseudo-class selector targets elements based on their position among siblings, making it ideal for dynamic styling. It can select elements using specific positions (e.g., first, odd, or even), or patterns like An+B. This flexible CSS tool improves web design by simplifying how you apply styles to elements in lists, tables, or repetitive structures.Syntax:nth-child(number) { // CSS Property}Where,number: This represents the pattern for matching elements. It can be a specific number, odd, even, or a formula like An+B, where A defines the step size and B is an offset.odd: Targets elements at odd positions (1, 3, 5, etc.) within their parent container.even: Targets elements at even positions (2, 4, 6, etc.) among their siblings.Functional Notation (An+B): Matches elements whose positions follow the pattern An+B. Here, A is the interval (step size) and B is the offset.Example 1: The :nth-child(2n+1) selector is used to target every odd <li> element, applying a green background and white text. This effectively styles the first, third, fifth, and other odd list items. HTML <!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>CSS :nth-child Selector Example</title> <style> /* Applying styles to every odd <li> element */ li:nth-child(2n+1) { background: green; } </style> </head> <body> <h1>CSS :nth-child() Selector Example For odd lists </h1> <ul> <li>Item 1</li> <li>Item 2</li> <li>Item 3</li> <li>Item 4</li> <li>Item 5</li> <li>Item 6</li> </ul> </body> </html> Output Example 2: The :nth-child(2n) selector is used to target every even <li> element, applying a blue background and white text. This effectively styles the second, fourth, sixth, and other even list items. HTML <!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>CSS :nth-child Selector Example</title> <style> /* Applying styles to every even <li> element */ li:nth-child(2n) { background: green; } </style> </head> <body> <h1>CSS :nth-child() Selector Example for Even Lists</h1> <ul> <li>Item 1</li> <li>Item 2</li> <li>Item 3</li> <li>Item 4</li> <li>Item 5</li> <li>Item 6</li> </ul> </body> </html> Output The :nth-child() CSS selector helps you target specific elements based on their position, such as odd or even items. Mastering this selector allows for more dynamic and responsive web designs, improving layout flexibility and enhancing creativity in styling.Supported BrowsersGoogle Chrome 5.0Edge 12Mozilla 4.0Safari 5.0Opera 11.1 Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article CSS Introduction V Vishal Chaudhary 2 Follow Improve Article Tags : Web Technologies CSS CSS-Selectors Similar Reads CSS Tutorial CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. 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