Learn German A1 from zero, in English
You don't need to know a single word. From the alphabet and greetings to introducing yourself, shopping, and asking for directions — explained in a language you actually understand.
Try the first unit freeHow long does this level take? 6-8 weeks
What does A1 actually mean?
A1 is the first level of the European CEFR framework — the absolute beginning. It means you can understand and use simple everyday expressions, and introduce yourself in short sentences.
What you'll be able to do after A1
- Introduce yourself: your name, where you're from, your age
- Handle the airport and the train station
- Shop at the market or a store without trouble
- Ask for directions and understand the answer
- Book an appointment at a doctor's or pharmacy
- Understand simple signs and announcements
What you'll do every day
Vocabulary
Everyday-situation words: the airport, the supermarket, the apartment, the doctor
Grammar
Basic verbs, noun gender (der/die/das), and simple sentence order
Listening
Short dialogues at a beginner-friendly pace
Speaking
Record your voice from lesson one and get instant feedback
Sample sentences you'll learn in A1
Ich heiße Amina und ich komme aus Marokko.
How you introduce yourself: your name + your country.
Wo ist die Apotheke, bitte?
Wo = where — used to ask for a place.
Ich möchte einen Kaffee, bitte.
möchte = I'd like, a polite way to ask.
Der Zug fährt um neun Uhr.
der (masculine) + time — Uhr means o'clock.
A first introduction
Hallo! Wie heißt du?
Hi! What's your name?
Ich heiße Youssef. Und du?
My name is Youssef. And you?
Ich heiße Fatima. Woher kommst du?
My name is Fatima. Where are you from?
Ich komme aus Casablanca.
I'm from Casablanca.
The A1 exam
At the end of the level, a mock exam built like the internationally recognized ones (Goethe, telc, ÖSD) — 4 skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking.
Lerniyo's exam is built in the style of internationally recognized exams (Goethe, telc, ÖSD) — it is not an official registration with any of those institutes. The Lerniyo certificate is a completion certificate for our own curriculum.
See the full A1 exam guideWhat will you learn in German A1?
- Greetings and introductions
- Introducing yourself: name, country, age
- Numbers, time, and dates
- Family
- Food and shopping
- Housing and the apartment
- Transport, the airport, the train station
- The doctor and the pharmacy
- Basic verbs in the present tense
- Articles: der/die/das
- Simple sentence order
- The accusative case, the basics
- Everyday questions: what, where, how much, why
Learn German A1 in English with Lerniyo
Most apps explain grammar using confusing jargon or a third language, adding difficulty on top of difficulty. Lerniyo explains everything in plain English, so you focus on German, not on decoding the explanation.
After A1 comes A2
See A2