# hasPrefix(_:) Returns a Boolean value indicating whether the string begins with the specified prefix. ``` func hasPrefix(_ prefix: Prefix) -> Bool where Prefix : StringProtocol ``` ## Parameters `prefix` A possible prefix to test against this string. ## Return Value `true` if the string begins with `prefix`; otherwise, `false`. ## Discussion The comparison is both case sensitive and Unicode safe. The case-sensitive comparison will only match strings whose corresponding characters have the same case. ``` let cafe = "Café du Monde" // Case sensitive print(cafe.hasPrefix("café")) // Prints "false" ``` The Unicode-safe comparison matches Unicode extended grapheme clusters rather than the code points used to compose them. The example below uses two strings with different forms of the `"é"` character—the first uses the composed form and the second uses the decomposed form. ``` // Unicode safe let composedCafe = "Café" let decomposedCafe = "Cafe\u{0301}" print(cafe.hasPrefix(composedCafe)) // Prints "true" print(cafe.hasPrefix(decomposedCafe)) // Prints "true" ``` --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)