Column subtraction (with borrow)
Column subtraction (with borrow) helps children practise performing column subtraction when a digit is too small and must borrow from the next place. Read the short guide and look through the examples before choosing online practice or a printable worksheet.
How to solve this
- When a digit in the top row is smaller than the one below, borrow 10 from the next column to the left.
- Mark the borrow: cross out the lending digit and write it reduced by 1; add 10 to the borrowing column.
- Check by adding: result + subtracted number must equal the starting number exactly.
Examples
645 − 367 −−− ???
278
853 − 458 −−− ???
395