What are functional programming languages?

Functional programming languages are like building blocks that help you solve problems by putting together simple pieces.

Imagine you're making a sandwich. Instead of thinking about all the steps at once, getting bread, spreading peanut butter, adding jelly, you break it down into smaller actions: get bread, spread peanut butter, add jelly. Each action is like a function that does one job really well.

In functional programming languages, you write programs by combining these small, clear functions. Just like stacking blocks to make a tower, you can stack functions to solve bigger problems.

Think of each function as a LEGO brick. You don’t have to build the whole castle at once, just snap one brick at a time. Each brick has a specific shape and color, just like how each function does a specific job.

If you want a bigger tower, you can use more bricks (or functions) without messing up what’s already built. This makes it easier to see what's going on and fix any mistakes, just like fixing your sandwich if the jelly falls off!