To return a node, list it in the RETURN statemenet.

Query. 

START n=node(2)
RETURN n

The example will return the node.

Try this query live. (1) {"age":55,"happy":"Yes!","name":"A"} (2) {"name":"B"} (1)-[:KNOWS]->(2) {} (1)-[:BLOCKS]->(2) {} start n=node(2) return n

To return a relationship, just include it in the RETURN list.

Query. 

START n=node(1)
MATCH (n)-[r:KNOWS]->(c)
RETURN r

The relationship is returned by the example.

Try this query live. (1) {"age":55,"happy":"Yes!","name":"A"} (2) {"name":"B"} (1)-[:KNOWS]->(2) {} (1)-[:BLOCKS]->(2) {} start n=node(1) match (n)-[r:KNOWS]->(c) return r

To return a property, use the dot separator, like this:

Query. 

START n=node(1)
RETURN n.name

The value of the property name gets returned.

Try this query live. (1) {"age":55,"happy":"Yes!","name":"A"} (2) {"name":"B"} (1)-[:KNOWS]->(2) {} (1)-[:BLOCKS]->(2) {} start n=node(1) return n.name

When you want to return all nodes, relationships and paths found in a query, you can use the * symbol.

Query. 

START a=node(1)
MATCH p=a-[r]->b
RETURN *

This returns the two nodes, the relationship and the path used in the query.

Try this query live. (1) {"age":55,"happy":"Yes!","name":"A"} (2) {"name":"B"} (1)-[:KNOWS]->(2) {} (1)-[:BLOCKS]->(2) {} start a=node(1) match p=a-[r]->b return *

To introduce a placeholder that is made up of characters that are outside of the english alphabet, you can use the ` to enclose the identifier, like this:

Query. 

START `This isn't a common identifier`=node(1)
RETURN `This isn't a common identifier`.happy

The node indexed with name "A" is returned

Try this query live. (1) {"age":55,"happy":"Yes!","name":"A"} (2) {"name":"B"} (1)-[:KNOWS]->(2) {} (1)-[:BLOCKS]->(2) {} start `This isn't a common identifier`=node(1) return `This isn't a common identifier`.happy

If the name of the column should be different from the expression used, you can rename it by using AS <new name>.

Query. 

START a=node(1)
RETURN a.age AS SomethingTotallyDifferent

Returns the age property of a node, but renames the column.

Try this query live. (1) {"age":55,"happy":"Yes!","name":"A"} (2) {"name":"B"} (1)-[:KNOWS]->(2) {} (1)-[:BLOCKS]->(2) {} start a=node(1) return a.age AS SomethingTotallyDifferent

If a property might or might not be there, you can select it optionally by adding a questionmark to the identifier, like this:

Query. 

START n=node(1, 2)
RETURN n.age?

This example returns the age when the node has that property, or null if the property is not there.

Try this query live. (1) {"age":55,"happy":"Yes!","name":"A"} (2) {"name":"B"} (1)-[:KNOWS]->(2) {} (1)-[:BLOCKS]->(2) {} start n=node(1, 2) return n.age?

Any expression can be used as a return iterm - literals, predicates, properties, functions, and everything else.

Query. 

START a=node(1)
RETURN a.age > 30, "I'm a literal", length(a-->())

Returns a predicate, a literal and function call with a pattern expression parameter.

Try this query live. (1) {"age":55,"happy":"Yes!","name":"A"} (2) {"name":"B"} (1)-[:KNOWS]->(2) {} (1)-[:BLOCKS]->(2) {} start a=node(1) return a.age > 30, "I'm a literal", length(a-->())

DISTINCT retrieves only unique rows depending on the columns that have been selected to output.

Query. 

START a=node(1)
MATCH (a)-->(b)
RETURN distinct b

The node named B is returned by the query, but only once.

Try this query live. (1) {"age":55,"happy":"Yes!","name":"A"} (2) {"name":"B"} (1)-[:KNOWS]->(2) {} (1)-[:BLOCKS]->(2) {} start a=node(1) match (a)-->(b) return distinct b