German has the same 26 letters as English, plus four more: Ä, Ö, Ü and ß.
schon, schön already, beautiful: two different words
German A1
A1 is the first level of German. Here you find the A1 grammar topics on this site, the A1 word lists, flashcards, reading texts and games, in the order that makes sense for a beginner.
Start with A1 grammar
Beginner level. No account needed.
Quick grammar check1 / 6
A1Der, die, das (articles)
blank Hund schläft.
The dog is sleeping.
Pick the word that fits the gap.
Six A1 questions, one per topic. At the end you see which topics to read first.
German levels
What you can do at A1
- Understand and use everyday expressions and very simple sentences
- Introduce yourself and other people
- Ask and answer questions about where you live, people you know and things you have
- Have a simple conversation when the other person speaks slowly and clearly
These points follow the CEFR description of A1. The matching exam is the Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1.
A1 German Grammar
At A1 you learn how a simple German sentence works: the article of a noun, the ending of a verb, and where the verb goes.
Der, die and das all mean “the”. Which one you use depends on the gender of the noun.
der Hund, die Stadt, das Buch the dog, the city, the book
The verb changes its ending to match the subject. The stem carries the meaning, and the ending tells you who is doing it.
ich spiele, du spielst, er spielt I play, you play, he plays
In a German main clause, the conjugated verb always sits in position 2.
Heute gehe ich ins Kino. Today I go to the cinema.
Numbers
A1Two-digit numbers are said backwards: the ones digit first, then the tens.
dreiundzwanzig 23, literally “three-and-twenty”
German has several plural endings, and some plurals add an umlaut. Learn the plural together with the noun.
das Haus, die Häuser the house, the houses
A case shows what job a noun does in a sentence. You see the case on the article.
Ich sehe den Hund. I see the dog.
Use am with days. Use im with months and seasons.
am Montag, im Mai on Monday, in May
Clock times take um, days and dates take am, and months and seasons take im.
um 3 Uhr, am Montag, im Juli at 3 o’clock, on Monday, in July
Conjugate haben or sein for the subject, and put the past participle at the end of the sentence.
Ich habe Pizza gegessen. I ate pizza.
A1 German Vocabulary
The Goethe A1 word list is the vocabulary the A1 exam expects. Every list is free to read here and has a matching flashcard deck.
The nouns on the Goethe A1 word list, each with its article, plural and English meaning.
The verbs on the Goethe A1 word list, each with its conjugation and English meaning.
The adjectives on the Goethe A1 word list, each with its comparative and superlative.
The A1 verbs that follow the regular pattern, so you can learn the pattern once.
The A1 verbs that change their stem. These need extra practice.
The modal verbs, such as können (can) and müssen (must), with their conjugations.
A1 German Reading
Every text on this site comes at A1, A2 and B1. Very short sentences and the most common words. Start here if you are new to German.
Games for A1
Grammar games for the topics above, and word games. They run in the browser and need no account.
Word Salad Game (Buchstabensalat)
Guess the Artikel
NewArtikel Drop
Verb Conjugation
Verb Conjugation (Multiple Choice)
German Sentence Order
NewNumber Drop
Number Tap Game
German Noun Plurals
German Time Expressions Game
German Past Tense (Partizip II) Practice
NewPresent to Perfekt
Guess the Word (Multiple Choice)
NewGerman Wordle
German A1 FAQ
What is German A1?
A1 is one of the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which run from A1 to C2. At A1 you can understand and use everyday expressions and very simple sentences. The matching exam at the Goethe-Institut is the Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1.
What grammar do I need for A1?
The A1 grammar topics on this page are: The German alphabet, Der, die, das (articles), Verb conjugation (present tense), Sentence structure (word order), Numbers, Noun plurals, The four cases, Days and months, Time expressions: um, am, im and The past tense (Perfekt). Each card shows the rule and links to its guide, game or quiz.
Is the A1 practice on this page free?
Yes. The A1 grammar guides, games, word lists, flashcards and reading texts are free and need no account.
What comes after A1?
The next level is A2. When the A1 topics on this page feel easy, go on to German A2.
Find your weak topics first
Six short questions show which grammar topics to read before the others.