Level 1 of 6 · start here
German A1 — Beginner
Your first German: everyday words, der/die/das, and short sentences you can use on day one.
Free, no account. Not sure A1 is your level?
How to use this level
Do these four, in order
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Learn the letters and their sounds
Thirty characters, four of them ones English does not have. This is the half hour that decides whether the words below are words you can also say and hear.
Open the alphabet -
Learn the A1 words
378 words, the commonest ones first. Each one shows what it means, how it changes, and a real sentence using it.
Open the word list -
Read an A1 text
30 short texts, easiest first. In the first one you already know about 8 words in every 10, and the English is one tap away.
Read “Spiel des Jahres” · 1 min -
Test what you remember
279 questions. Tap an answer and you are told straight away whether it was right, and why.
Start practiceOr pick one typeGrammar Gap-FillVocabulary Gap-Fillder, die or dasReading ComprehensionTrue or False
Once these three are behind you: German A2 — Elementary → Everyday German: shopping, travel, family and work, plus the past tense and modal verbs.
Or jump to another level
Common questions
What is German A1?
A1 is the beginner level of the CEFR, formally "Breakthrough". Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases.
How many words do you need for A1 German?
A1 itself adds 378 words to what you already have; cumulatively from A1 that is about 378. Syllabuses vary by a few hundred either way, but the order matters more than the total — the commonest words carry most of the meaning.
How long does A1 German take?
The Goethe-Institut's own rule of thumb is roughly 80–200 hours of guided study to reach A1 from zero, assuming you also work outside class. Someone who already speaks another Germanic language will be at the low end.
Which exam matches A1?
Goethe-Zertifikat A1 and telc Deutsch A1 both map directly onto this level.