German A1 learning path – Beginner
At A1 you understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases. You can introduce yourself, ask simple questions and talk about people you know.
What you can do at A1
- Introduce yourself and talk about family, home and daily routines
- Ask and answer simple questions about people, places and things
- Understand familiar, slowly spoken phrases and read short notices
The A1 path brings together 320 vocabulary words, 37 grammar topics, 30 phrases, 4 writing tasks and 20 test questions. Work through the grammar topics in order, and use the vocabulary sets for daily practice.
Grammar topics at A1
- The German alphabet
- Pronunciation of ch
- Pronunciation of ei / ie
- Pronunciation of s, z, w, v
- Capitalised nouns
- Three genders
- Definite articles (nominative)
- Indefinite articles
- Negation with kein
- Personal pronouns
- Regular verb conjugation
- The verb sein
- The verb haben
- Verb position in statements
- Yes/no questions
- W-questions
- Plural formation
- Possessive articles
- Accusative case
- Verbs taking accusative
- Telling the time (formal)
- Telling the time (informal)
- Days, months, seasons
- Numbers 13–99
- Separable verbs (intro)
- Modal verbs (intro)
- Imperative
- Word order with time and place
- Conjunctions und, aber, oder, denn
- Du vs. Sie
- Prepositions of place: in, auf, an
- Es gibt
- Gern, lieber, am liebsten
- Stem-changing verbs e → i
- Stem-changing verbs a → ä
- Wie viel, wie viele
- Wann, wie lange, wie oft