German A1 vocabulary

A1 is the first level of German. By the end of it you can introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions about everyday things, and get through a short conversation when shopping or asking the way. Exams such as Start Deutsch 1 test this level.

How many words do you need?

A1 is usually put at around six to seven hundred words and phrases. You don't have to learn them all at once: add ten to fifteen new cards a day, keep up with your reviews, and you'll get there in a few months.

Tips for this level

• Always learn a noun with its article. der Tisch, die Tür, das Fenster. Grammatical gender is new for English speakers and follows few reliable rules, so learning it later is much harder than learning it now.
• Watch out for false friends. das Handy is a mobile phone, der Chef is your boss, and bekommen means "to get", not "to become".
• Learn phrases whole. Treat Wie geht es Ihnen? as one unit, not four separate words.
• Read out loud. Play the audio in the app and repeat it; German spelling is far more regular than English, so it pays off quickly.

Topics

Each topic has a page and a flashcard deck. They start with the most basic ones; work through them in order and by the end of the list you'll have covered the common A1 vocabulary.