What to Learn in A1 German: The Complete Checklist
At A1 you need roughly 650 words, of which about half should be usable actively, plus basic present-tense grammar and the ability to handle around ten simple daily situations. The number comes from the Goethe-Institut’s own A1 word list (Start Deutsch 1), which says it contains circa 650 words and that learners should be able to use about half of them actively, while understanding all of them when they meet them.
Use this page as a tick-list. Copy the tables, tick what you can do out loud, and go back to whatever is left.
How many words are in German A1?
The Goethe-Zertifikat A1 word list (Start Deutsch 1) contains circa 650 entries, grouped into ten themes: person, housing, environment, travel and transport, food and drink, shopping, services, education and learning, work and profession, and leisure. The preface says all entries should be understood passively, and that around half should be available as active vocabulary.
Practical consequences:
- You do not need to memorise 650 words before you speak. Roughly 300 active words, used in whole sentences, already covers a lot of daily life.
- The list is a guide to the exam, not a full definition of A1 across all courses. Textbooks and other providers’ lists differ slightly, so treat 500-700 as a sensible range.
- Nouns count with their article and plural. Learn “die Wohnung, -en”, never just “Wohnung”. If articles trouble you, see der, die, das: the most common nouns.
The 10 situations you should handle
Tick each only when you can do it aloud without notes.
| # | Situation | Example sentence | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduce yourself | Ich heiße Ana und komme aus Portugal. | My name is Ana and I come from Portugal. |
| 2 | Spell your name and give contact details | Mein Nachname schreibt sich M-A-R-T-I-N-S. | My surname is spelled M-A-R-T-I-N-S. |
| 3 | Talk about family | Ich habe zwei Brüder und eine Schwester. | I have two brothers and one sister. |
| 4 | Order food and drink | Ich möchte einen Kaffee und ein Brötchen, bitte. | I would like a coffee and a bread roll, please. |
| 5 | Shop and ask the price | Was kostet das? | How much is this? |
| 6 | Say the time and make an appointment | Hast du am Montag um 15 Uhr Zeit? | Do you have time on Monday at 3 pm? |
| 7 | Describe where you live | Ich wohne in einer kleinen Wohnung in der Stadt. | I live in a small flat in the city. |
| 8 | Ask for directions | Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof? | Excuse me, where is the station? |
| 9 | Talk about work or study | Ich arbeite als Krankenpfleger. | I work as a nurse. |
| 10 | Ask for help or repetition | Können Sie das bitte wiederholen? | Can you repeat that, please? |
Grammar checklist
| Topic | What you should manage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present tense, regular verbs | Conjugate all persons | ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt |
| sein and haben | All persons | Ich bin müde. Er hat Hunger. |
| Word order, main clause | Verb in position 2 | Heute lerne ich Deutsch. |
| Questions | Yes/no (verb first) and W-questions | Wohnst du hier? Wo wohnst du? |
| Negation | nicht and kein | Ich habe keine Zeit. |
| Articles and gender | der/die/das, ein/eine | der Tisch, die Lampe, das Buch |
| Plural | Common plural forms of everyday nouns | das Kind, die Kinder |
| Nominative and accusative | Direct object | Ich sehe den Mann. |
| Modal verbs | können, möchten, müssen, wollen | Ich möchte bezahlen. |
| Separable verbs | Simple present sentences | Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. |
| Possessives | mein, dein, sein | Das ist mein Bruder. |
| Prepositions | in, an, auf, mit, nach, zu in set phrases | Ich fahre mit dem Bus. |
| Numbers, dates, time | 0-1000, weekdays, months, clock times | Es ist halb vier. |
For word order, German word order rules explain verb position in plain steps. Do not go deep into dative or Perfekt yet unless your course already covers them; they belong to A2 (see A1 vs A2).
Vocabulary by theme
Learn each group as phrases, not single words. A starting set:
- Person: der Name, die Familie, verheiratet, ledig, der Beruf, die Sprache, die Adresse
- Housing: die Wohnung, das Zimmer, die Küche, die Miete, das Haus, der Schlüssel
- Food and drink: das Brot, das Wasser, der Kaffee, die Suppe, bestellen, bezahlen
- Shopping: kaufen, kosten, billig, teuer, die Tüte, offen, geschlossen
- Travel: der Bahnhof, der Bus, das Ticket, abfahren, ankommen
- Services: der Arzt, die Apotheke, die Post, die Bank, der Termin
- Work and learning: arbeiten, der Kurs, lernen, die Pause, die Arbeit
- Leisure: das Hobby, Musik hören, Sport machen, spazieren gehen
- Time: heute, morgen, gestern, die Woche, am Wochenende
- Environment: das Wetter, die Sonne, es regnet, kalt, warm
Practise your German out loud with SipLingo, free to try on iPhone and Android:
Three mini-dialogues to practise
At the bakery
- Guten Morgen! Was darf es sein? (Good morning! What can I get you?)
- Zwei Brötchen und ein Brot, bitte. (Two rolls and a loaf of bread, please.)
- Sonst noch etwas? (Anything else?)
- Nein, danke. Was kostet das? (No, thank you. What does it cost?)
- Vier Euro zwanzig. (Four euros twenty.)
Making an appointment
- Praxis Dr. Meier, guten Tag. (Dr. Meier’s practice, good day.)
- Guten Tag, ich möchte einen Termin machen. (Hello, I would like to make an appointment.)
- Geht es am Dienstag um 10 Uhr? (Does Tuesday at 10 work?)
- Ja, das passt. Vielen Dank! (Yes, that works. Thank you very much!)
Introducing yourself to a neighbour
- Hallo, ich bin Ivan. Ich wohne seit einer Woche hier. (Hello, I’m Ivan. I have lived here for a week.)
- Freut mich! Woher kommen Sie? (Nice to meet you! Where do you come from?)
- Ich komme aus Russland. Ich lerne Deutsch. (I come from Russia. I am learning German.)
Say these aloud three times, then change one detail each time (another food, another day, another country). That change is where real learning happens. For this specific kind of role-play, SipLingo (our app) lets you run the same situation by voice with an AI partner, fix your mistakes with explanations in your own language, and see your word accuracy, grammar, fluency and intonation scores. It is a speaking tool, so use it next to a course, and try it free.
Self-test: are you ready for A1?
Answer these aloud in German. Use a timer and do not read.
- Wie heißen Sie? Wie schreibt man das?
- Woher kommen Sie? Wo wohnen Sie?
- Was sind Sie von Beruf?
- Haben Sie Geschwister?
- Was essen Sie gern?
- Wie spät ist es? (Look at a clock.)
- Was kostet ein Kaffee? (Invent a price.)
- Können Sie mir bitte helfen?
If you answer at least six of eight in complete sentences, at your own pace, you are working at the A1 level. If you are preparing for the exam, continue with the Goethe A1 exam guide and the A1 speaking parts. For a time plan, see how to learn A1 German fast.
Common gaps at A1
- Skipping articles with nouns
- Putting the verb in the wrong position after a time word (“Heute ich lerne”)
- Using “kein” and “nicht” interchangeably
- Never practising numbers aloud, especially prices and times
- Learning vocabulary only in lists
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe A1 Start Deutsch 1 word list (PDF) – ~650 A1 words and everyday expressions by topic, with example sentences
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1 – official exam page – 4 modules, durations (80 min total), group speaking test, booking
Frequently asked questions
What should I learn in A1 German?
Greetings and introductions, numbers and time, daily situations such as shopping and ordering, present-tense verbs including sein, haben and modal verbs, simple questions, and basic word order. The checklist above covers each of these.
How many words are in German A1?
The Goethe-Zertifikat A1 word list contains circa 650 entries, and learners should be able to use about half of them actively. Other course providers’ A1 lists vary somewhat.
Is German A1 easy to pass?
It is the first level and the tasks are short and familiar, but it is a real exam in a new language and speaking in front of others is the hardest part for many. See is Goethe A1 hard for details.
How to study for A1 German?
Use one course or book, review vocabulary daily with whole phrases, and speak aloud every day. Do at least one mock exam before the real one.
What is the A1 German syllabus?
There is no single syllabus for all providers. The Goethe A1 word list and the exam description on goethe.de are the clearest official references; your course book will follow its own order.
Print the checklist, tick what you can say out loud, and practise the rest by voice with SipLingo.
