A1 French Vocabulary List, Beginner CEFR Words

Core survival French: greetings, pronouns, basic verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire), numbers, colors, and everyday objects.

Roughly 0–6 months of study.

About A1

A1 French covers the survival core: greetings (bonjour, merci, s'il vous plaît), introductions, numbers, days, family, and the most frequent verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire, prendre, vouloir). You meet gendered nouns (le/la), the formal-informal distinction (vous vs tu), and the basic pronunciation rules that separate written from spoken French. Around 500 active words.

Who this list is for

If you can introduce yourself, ask for the price, count, and order food, you're around A1. Most learners reach A1 in 60–90 hours. English speakers benefit enormously from the ~10,000 cognates between French and English (table, restaurant, important), so initial vocabulary growth feels fast. DELF A1 is the entry-level certificate.

How to study

At A1 the biggest gap between learners is pronunciation, not vocabulary. Spend the first weeks on the sounds (nasal vowels, the French r, liaison) before drilling words; bad pronunciation is sticky. Use spaced repetition with audio on every card, and learn nouns with their article (le livre, la table). 5–10 words per day, daily review.

The list (384 words)

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