A1Guides5 min read

A1 English level: topics, vocabulary and example sentences

A1 is the first CEFR level: you understand familiar everyday expressions, introduce yourself, and keep up a simple conversation if the other person speaks slowly. A1's communication topics, word areas, grammar topics, a self-check list, and how long it takes.

By Aslıgül Aşkın, 18 October 2026

Guide: How to learn and levels. Main post: How to learn English from zero: a step-by-step roadmap

A1 is the first level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). A learner at this level understands and uses familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases for concrete needs, introduces themselves and others, and answers personal questions such as where they live and who they know. They can keep up a simple conversation if the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is ready to help. Source: Council of Europe, CEFR global scale.

To see all the levels side by side and roughly estimate your own, start with the A1 to C2 level guide. This post covers A1 alone in detail: the situations you can talk in, and the words and grammar topics you know.

Which situations can you handle at A1?

A1 communication topics with examples
Topic	Example sentence	Turkish
Greetings	Good morning! How are you?	Günaydın! Nasılsın?
Giving personal information	I'm Elif. I'm from Bursa. I'm a nurse.	Ben Elif. Bursalıyım. Hemşireyim.
Habits and routines	I get up at seven and walk to work.	Yedide kalkar, işe yürüyerek giderim.
Telling the time	It's half past three.	Saat üç buçuk.
Numbers	My number is double five, two, eight.	Numaram beş beş, iki, sekiz.
Prices	How much is this bag? It's twelve pounds.	Bu çanta ne kadar? On iki sterlin.
Asking the way	Where is the bus stop? It's next to the bank.	Otobüs durağı nerede? Bankanın yanında.

These seven topics are the communication functions listed for A1 in the British Council and EAQUALS core inventory by level. What they share is that they are concrete: you, your family, your day, numbers and your surroundings. Abstract ideas, long accounts and the details of past events are not yet expected at A1. Source: British Council and EAQUALS, “A Core Inventory for General English”.

A1 vocabulary: which areas?

Word areas and example words for A1
Area	Example words
Food and drink	bread, cheese, egg, apple, rice, water, tea, coffee, milk, soup
Countries and nationalities	Turkey / Turkish, England / English, Germany / German, Italy / Italian, Japan / Japanese
Personal information	name, surname, age, address, phone number, email, married, single, birthday
Town and shopping	bank, station, market, pharmacy, bakery, shop, price, cheap, expensive, open, closed
Family	mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, son, daughter, grandmother, cousin
Work and jobs	teacher, doctor, driver, engineer, office, hospital, work, job, colleague
Free time	football, swimming, music, film, book, park, weekend, holiday, friend
Basic verbs	be, have, go, come, eat, drink, live, work, like, want, see, say, make

The areas come from the same core inventory; the example words are the most basic words in those areas, and the list is not complete. Words stay longer when you learn them in a sentence about your own life rather than one by one: “There's a bakery near my house.” instead of “bakery”.

A1 grammar topics

The structures that carry A1 sentences are few but need to be solid: am, is, are (to be), the present simple and present continuous, there is / there are, personal pronouns and possessive adjectives (my, your), can / can't, questions, imperatives, in / on / at and prepositions of place, and adverbs of frequency (always, never). Towards the end of A1 the core inventory also lists was / were, the simple past and going to. The full list by level is in the blog's grammar topics guide.

Check yourself: have you finished A1?

If you can say “yes” to most of the following, you have reached the end of A1. 1. Can you introduce yourself with your name, age, where you are from and your job? 2. Can you describe your family in three or four sentences? 3. Can you describe your daily routine with times? 4. Can you order something in a café and ask the price? 5. Can you give your phone number and address, spelling and saying each digit? 6. Can you ask “Where is…?” and understand short directions? 7. Can you describe what is in your home or neighbourhood with “there is / there are”? 8. Can you follow a short introduction when people speak slowly?

How long does A1 take?

For a complete beginner, reaching A1 takes about 90–100 hours of lessons and guided study; A2 takes about 180–200 hours in total. Someone studying five hours a week completes A1 in four to five months. The time varies with any English you met before, your study routine and how much English you meet outside lessons. Source: Cambridge English, “Guided learning hours”.

The easiest way to speed up A1 is to start with sentences you use every day; the first 30 sentences for beginners covers most of the conversations at this level.

Frequently asked questions

How many words should you know at A1?

CEFR levels are defined by what you can do, not by a word count, so there is no official number. If you can use the basic words of the areas above in sentences, that is enough for A1.

Is A1 enough for work or travel?

On a short trip it helps you greet people, ask for things and ask the way. For work it is usually not enough; writing emails, following a meeting or explaining a problem take at least A2–B1.

I can't speak at A1 but I understand what I read; what is my level?

It is very common for skills to sit at different levels. A level can be considered separately for each skill; what usually holds speaking back is a lack of practice rather than a lack of knowledge.