French at A1 is where everything starts: the alphabet or first sounds, greetings, numbers and the simplest sentences. These lessons use very short texts and common words, with audio and translation so you can follow every line.
What you can do at A1
Greet people and introduce yourself.
Understand and use very common everyday words.
Read very short, simple texts.
About 500 words and roughly 80–100 hours of study to reach this level.
French lessons for A1
News
Stories
Dialogues
Short talks
Podcasts
Videos
French A1 by topic
Other French levels
Not sure this is your level?
Take the short placement test and we will suggest where to start.
Questions about French at A1
What does A1 mean in French?
A1 is the Beginner level of the CEFR scale, the European standard for describing language ability. First words and simple sentences.
How many French words do I need for A1?
Around 500 words is a good target for A1. The number depends on the language and on which words you choose. Learn the most frequent ones first.
How long does it take to reach French A1?
Roughly 80–100 hours of study in total, for an English speaker learning a language of average difficulty. Daily short sessions with content at your level work better than rare long ones.
