What happens when you omit the semicolon at the end of a printf statement?

When you omit the semicolon at the end of a printf statement, it results in a compile error. In the C programming language, every statement must end with a semicolon to indicate the conclusion of that statement. The semicolon serves as a delimiter, allowing the compiler to understand where one statement ends and the next one begins.

When the compiler encounters a printf statement without a semicolon, it does not recognize the end of the statement, leading to ambiguity. This usually generates an error message during compilation, indicating that the compiler was expecting a semicolon. As a result, the program cannot be compiled successfully, preventing it from running. Understanding this syntax rule is crucial for writing valid C code, as missing semicolons are a common source of compilation errors for beginners.