Table of Contents
Overview of A1 – Beginner German
The A1 level is your introduction to German. At this stage you learn to understand and use very simple sentences for everyday situations. You focus on survival communication, not on complex grammar or long texts.
A1 is normally divided into thematic blocks. Each block introduces basic grammar, essential vocabulary, and common phrases that you can use right away in real life.
At A1 you always work with simple, short sentences about familiar topics: yourself, your family, daily life, time, food, housing, shopping, leisure.
By the end of A1, you should be able to introduce yourself, give and ask basic information, manage simple daily situations, and understand very simple written and spoken German if people speak slowly and clearly.
Sounds, Letters, and Basic Pronunciation
At the beginning of A1 you get familiar with how German looks and sounds. You learn the alphabet and special letters like ä, ö, ü and ß, and you train your ear to hear typical German sounds.
You also start to practice simple pronunciation rules so that you can read out basic words, spell your name, and understand how stress and intonation work in the most common phrases such as greetings and introductions.
A key goal here is that you can say and understand basic personal information, even if your accent is still strong or you are slow.
Basic Sentence Building and Grammar at A1
A1 grammar focuses on the minimum tools you need to make easy, correct sentences.
You meet the idea of grammatical gender, different articles, and simple verb forms. You learn how to say who or what something is, who has something, and how to make basic statements and questions.
In A1 you always concentrate on the present moment and on the most frequent everyday verbs. Grammar is always connected with real-life phrases, for example asking where someone is from, talking about your family, or ordering something in a café.
A1 grammar focuses on present tense, simple main clauses, and very frequent verbs. You do not need complex tenses or long structures yet.
Everyday Communication Topics at A1
The content of A1 is organized around things you actually say and hear in daily life. You learn to move through common situations in German without needing English.
Typical communicative goals at A1 include:
You can greet people, say goodbye, and use polite phrases.
You can say your name, age, nationality, languages, and where you live.
You can talk very simply about your family, your job or studies, and your daily routine.
You can ask for and tell the time, days, dates, and basic numbers.
You can shop for everyday items, understand simple prices, and order food and drinks.
You can describe your home in very simple terms and say what is where.
You can talk about what you like doing in your free time and say what you do not like.
All of this is done with short, clear sentences and a limited range of words, but used often and confidently.
Building a First German Vocabulary
At A1 you build a foundation of very frequent words. You do not learn rare or academic words. Instead, you repeat and recycle useful items for many situations.
You focus on:
Personal words such as I, you, he, she, we, you (plural), they.
Common verbs such as be, have, live, come, speak, want, go, eat, drink, like.
Basic nouns that describe people, family members, food, objects in a room, days and months, jobs, hobbies.
Small functional words such as and, but, or, not, where, who, what, when.
Over the course of A1 you start to understand that German words can change form, especially articles and some nouns and verbs, but you always practice them in familiar patterns and simple contexts.
Using German in Real Life at A1
Even as a beginner you already use German to do real tasks. You practice short dialogues and standard phrases which you can repeat and adapt.
Typical real-life skills at A1 include:
Filling in a simple form with name, address, age, nationality.
Asking and answering simple questions in shops, cafés, and at the train station if people speak slowly.
Understanding very simple notices, signs, and schedules with numbers, days, or basic words.
Following a simple conversation about daily routine, family, or hobbies when the speaker supports you with gestures and clear pronunciation.
At A1 you should aim for communication, not perfection. Short, clear sentences with some mistakes are accepted if people can understand you.
Progress through A1 and Preparation for A2
As you advance in A1, the topics remain familiar, but your control improves. You learn more words, your pronunciation becomes clearer, and you start to combine simple ideas with and or but.
By the end of A1 you can:
Understand and use very simple phrases related to the most urgent needs.
Introduce yourself and others and ask and answer basic questions about personal details.
Interact in a simple way, if the other person talks slowly and is ready to help.
This creates a stable base for A2, where you will speak more independently, handle past events, and connect ideas more clearly. A strong A1 foundation makes higher levels much easier.
New Vocabulary for This Chapter
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | German (language) |
| Englisch | English (language) |
| Niveau | level |
| Anfänger | beginner |
| der Satz | sentence |
| die Grammatik | grammar |
| die Vokabel | vocabulary, word |
| das Wort | word |
| die Aussprache | pronunciation |
| die Kommunikation | communication |
| die Situation | situation |
| die Person | person |
| die Information | information |
| die Frage | question |
| die Antwort | answer |
| das Thema | topic, theme |
| der Alltag | everyday life |
| die Übung | exercise, practice |
| der Kurs | course |
| das Ziel | goal, aim |