The break statement in pythonallows you to stop a loop (whether it’s a for or while loop) before it finishes its natural cycle. This is useful when a specific condition is met, and you no longer need to continue the loop.

Table of Contents

1. What is the break statement in python?
2. Syntax of the break statement in python
3. Example of Using the break statement in python
4. Using break in a for Loop
5. Using break in a while Loop
6. Using break in Nested Loops
7. Common Mistakes with break
8. Mini-Project: Finding the First Prime Number
9. Interview Questions and Answers

1. What is the break statement in python?

The break statement immediately stops the nearest loop when a condition is met, and the program moves to the next line of code after the loop.

2. Syntax of the break statement in python

The break statement is simple. You just need to write:

break

It’s often used inside a conditional statement in a loop to exit early.

3. Example of Using the break statement in python

Here’s a simple example that stops the loop when i equals 3:

for i in range(5):
    if i == 3:
        break
    print(i)

Output:

0
1
2

The loop stops when i becomes 3.

4. Using break in a for Loop

You can also use break in a for loop to stop early when a condition is met:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
for fruit in fruits:
    if fruit == "banana":
        break
    print(fruit)

Output:

apple


The loop stops when it encounters “banana”.

5. Using break in a while Loop

break works in a while loop too. Here’s an example:

i = 0
while i < 5:
    if i == 3:
        break
    print(i)
    i += 1

Output:

0
1
2

The loop stops when i equals 3.

6. Using break in Nested Loops

If you use break in nested loops, it only exits the inner loop:

or i in range(3):
    for j in range(3):
        if j == 2:
            break
        print(f"i={i}, j={j}")

Output:

i=0, j=0
i=0, j=1
i=1, j=0
i=1, j=1
i=2, j=0
i=2, j=1

The inner loop breaks when j is 2, but the outer loop keeps going.

7. Common Mistakes with break

• Unintended Exit: Make sure your break condition is correct to avoid exiting the loop too early.
• Nested Loops: break only stops the innermost loop. If you need to break out of multiple loops, use flags or another control method.

8. Mini-Project: Finding the First Prime Number

Let’s write a program that finds the first prime number greater than 1:

def find_prime():
    num = 2
    while True:
        for i in range(2, num):
            if num % i == 0:
                break
        else:
            print(f"The first prime number is {num}")
            break
        num += 1
        
find_prime()

Output:

The first prime number is 2

Interview Questions and Answers

Google

• Q: How does the break statement work in Python?
• A: The break statement stops the nearest loop and moves the program to the next line of code after the loop.

Amazon

• Q: Can a break statement in python be used in both for and while loops?
• A: Yes, it can be used in both types of loops to exit when a condition is met.

TCS

• Q: What happens if a break statement in python is used in a while loop?
• A: It immediately exits the loop and continues with the next line of code after the loop.

Infosys

• Q: Can break be used in nested loops?
• A: Yes, but it only exits the innermost loop. To break out of multiple loops, use flags or other techniques.

Zoho

• Q: How can you stop an infinite loop using break?
• A: You can stop an infinite loop with break by adding a condition to exit the loop.

Conclusion

The break statement is a useful tool to control loop execution. It helps you exit loops early when certain conditions are met, making your code more efficient and clean.ython, used to control the flow of execution in programs. By understanding how to use these effectively, you can handle repetitive tasks and break out of loops efficiently, enabling you to write cleaner, more efficient code.

break-statement

Start Quiz

Question

Your answer:

Correct answer:

Next

You got {{SCORE_CORRECT}} out of {{SCORE_TOTAL}}

Your Answers