Note on Syntax

I'm not an expert on programming language design, so I was hoping someone can help me understand. When people talk about syntax, do they mean how bits of text are strung together to make programs; kind of from a down-and-dirty, implementation-level POV? As opposed to the more high-level thinking of the kinds of things you can get done in the language?<p>So for example, assignment of a value to a variable is a high-level "thing you get done" in a language, which isn't syntax, whereas using := versus = for assignment is a matter of syntax? Do I have the right idea?

++<p>Syntax is extremely important for scripting languages, especially those you expect to use with a REPL. Programmers tend to choose languages that (a) are good enough for the job, and (b) are pleasant to use.