Core survival German: greetings, pronouns, basic verbs (sein, haben, machen, gehen), numbers, colors, and everyday objects.
Roughly 0–6 months of study.
A1 German covers the survival core: greetings, introductions, numbers, days, family, and the most frequent verbs (sein, haben, machen, gehen, kommen, wohnen). You meet the three grammatical genders (der/die/das) and the formal-informal distinction (Sie vs du). Around 500 active words, plus separable verbs (aufstehen, einkaufen) and the basic word order rule that the verb goes second.
If you can introduce yourself in German, ask for prices, follow simple announcements, and order food, you're around A1. Most learners reach A1 in 80–100 hours; German takes a bit longer than Romance languages for English speakers because of the case system and the gender of every noun. Goethe-Zertifikat A1 is the entry-level certificate, often required for spousal visas.
At A1 the highest-leverage habit is learning each noun with its article (das Buch, not just Buch). Genders are mostly arbitrary, and re-learning them at B1 is painful. Use spaced repetition with the article included on the front of every card. Resist trying to master cases on day one; focus on the nominative for now and pick up accusative through input. 5–10 words per day, daily review.