Of course! In Python, the keyword return is used to exit a function and send a value back to the code that called the function.

When you want a function to return True, you simply use the statement return True.

Here’s a breakdown with examples.

The Basic Syntax

The return statement immediately stops the function's execution and sends the specified value back.

def is_even(number):
  """Checks if a number is even."""
  if number % 2 == 0:
    return True  # The function stops here and returns True
  else:
    return False # If the condition is false, it returns False
# --- How to use it ---
result1 = is_even(10)
print(f"Is 10 even? {result1}")  # Output: Is 10 even? True
result2 = is_even(7)
print(f"Is 7 even? {result2}")   # Output: Is 7 even? False

Returning True Based on a Condition

A very common pattern is to have a function that returns True only if a certain condition is met.

Example: Checking if a user is an adult

def is_adult(age):
  """Checks if a person is 18 years or older."""
  if age >= 18:
    return True
  # If the age is less than 18, the function implicitly returns None
  # (which is "falsy" in Python)
# --- How to use it ---
user_age = 21
if is_adult(user_age):
  print("Access granted. You are an adult.")
else:
  print("Access denied. You must be an adult.")
# Output: Access granted. You are an adult.

Simplifying with Direct return

You can often make your code more concise by returning the result of the condition directly. A condition in an if statement already evaluates to True or False.

This is a very "Pythonic" way to write the same functions.

# A more concise version of the is_even function
def is_even_concise(number):
  """A more concise way to check if a number is even."""
  return number % 2 == 0
# A more concise version of the is_adult function
def is_adult_concise(age):
  """A more concise way to check if a person is an adult."""
  return age >= 18
# --- How to use them ---
print(f"Is 10 even? {is_even_concise(10)}")   # Output: Is 10 even? True
print(f"Is 7 even? {is_even_concise(7)}")    # Output: Is 7 even? False
print(f"Is 25 an adult? {is_adult_concise(25)}") # Output: Is 25 an adult? True

Returning True from a Loop

You might want to loop through something and return True as soon as you find what you're looking for. The return statement will also exit the loop.

Example: Checking if a name exists in a list

def find_name(name_to_find, names_list):
  """Searches for a name in a list and returns True if found."""
  for name in names_list:
    if name == name_to_find:
      print(f"Found {name_to_find}!")
      return True  # Exit the function and loop immediately
  # If the loop finishes without finding the name
  return False
# --- How to use it ---
friends = ["Alice", "Bob", "Charlie"]
found = find_name("Bob", friends)
print(f"Search result: {found}") # Output: Search result: True
not_found = find_name("David", friends)
print(f"Search result: {not_found}") # Output: Search result: False

The Importance of return vs. print

This is a very common point of confusion for beginners.

• return: Sends a value out of a function so it can be stored in a variable or used in an expression. The function call itself becomes the value.
• print: Displays a value to the console. It's for showing output to the human user, not for passing data between parts of your program.

# Function that RETURNS True
def returns_true():
  return True
# Function that PRINTS True
def prints_true():
  print(True)
# --- The difference ---
# 1. Using the function that RETURNS
result = returns_true()
print(f"The function returned: {result}")
# You can now use the 'result' variable
if result:
  print("This code runs because the result is True.")
# Output:
# The function returned: True
# This code runs because the result is True.
# 2. Using the function that PRINTS
value = prints_true()
print(f"The function returned: {value}")
# You cannot use the 'value' variable for logic because it's None
if value:
  print("This code will NOT run.")
# Output:
# True  (this is from the print() inside the function)
# The function returned: None

Summary