What will you learn in A1 German? Your first steps with GermanMind
Your first conversation in German might be only a few sentences long.
Your name. Where you live. What you do. A question for the person sitting beside you.
But those few sentences are a beginning. Suddenly, German is something you can use; to
introduce yourself, connect with someone and say something about your own life.
At GermanMind, our A1 German courses help you build that ability step by step. With native German teachers, a clear learning structure and a welcoming classroom atmosphere, you develop the foundations for everyday communication.
And you do it with people who are learning alongside you.
Structure is key - and speaking starts early
A1 is the beginner level of German. You can join as a complete beginner, without previous knowledge.
At GermanMind, we divide the full A1 level into three course modules: A1.1, A1.2 and A1.3. This gives you a clear route through the beginner stage, with manageable steps and regular opportunities to practise what you have learned.
A1.1 is your starting point. A1.2 builds on those foundations. A1.3 develops and consolidates your skills as you work towards A2.
Throughout the level, you practise speaking, listening, reading and writing together. You learn a structure, hear it in context, try it with a classmate and return to it in a new situation.
From a teacher’s perspective, a useful question is: can you do something with what you have learned?
Can you ask a question without reading it? Understand your partner’s answer? Change an example so that it is true for you?
Those are the small steps that turn classroom knowledge into usable German.
Start with yourself: introductions, family and work
Your own life gives you plenty to talk about, even as a beginner.
You learn how to greet people, introduce yourself and ask for basic personal information. You practise spelling your name, giving contact details and talking about where you come from and which languages you speak.
For example:
Hallo, ich heiße Emma. Ich komme aus Irland und wohne in Dublin.
Hello, my name is Emma. I come from Ireland and live in Dublin.
As your vocabulary grows, you can add information about your family, your job and the people around you.
Meine Schwester wohnt in Berlin. My sister lives in Berlin.
Ich arbeite als Ingenieur. I work as an engineer.
For a learner, this is an encouraging early milestone: you can begin to tell someone who you are.
For a teacher, it is also where important foundations come together - verbs, questions, pronunciation and sentence structure - through information that means something to you.
Make German part of your everyday life
What do you do after work? When are you free? What would you like to eat?
Across A1, you develop the language for familiar routines and simple social situations. You learn to talk about hobbies, tell the time, understand dates and arrange to meet someone.
Hast du am Samstag Zeit?Are you free on Saturday?
Wir treffen uns um zehn Uhr. We’re meeting at ten o’clock.
Food and drink give you another practical way to use German. You practise expressing preferences, understanding simple menu information and ordering politely.
Ich möchte einen Kaffee und ein Wasser, bitte. I’d like a coffee and a water, please.
These situations are ideal for classroom practice. One person asks, another answers, and the conversation changes depending on the people taking part.
The aim is to help you respond, rather than simply remember a dialogue.
Shop, describe things and talk about your home
A1 also helps you handle simple exchanges about the things around you.
You learn to ask about prices, understand numbers and describe everyday objects, clothes and furniture. You develop vocabulary for colours, rooms and your home.
Wie viel kostet das?How much does that cost?
Die Wohnung hat zwei Zimmer.The apartment has two rooms.
Alongside the vocabulary, you start to understand how German nouns work: why we learn der Tisch, die Lampe and das Zimmer, and how articles can change within a sentence.
Our teaching approach connects those patterns to a purpose. If you are describing your room or choosing something in a shop, the grammar helps you make your meaning clear.
Find your way and manage simple travel situations
If you are learning German for travel, visiting family or a future move, this part of A1 can feel particularly useful.
You practise asking where something is, understanding simple directions and talking about transport and arrival times.
Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof? Excuse me, where is the train station?
Gehen Sie geradeaus und dann nach rechts. Go straight ahead and then turn right.
You also learn a skill that matters at every level: asking for help when you have not understood.
Können Sie das bitte wiederholen? Could you repeat that, please?
You do not need to understand every word to keep a simple exchange going. Knowing how to ask someone to repeat something is part of communicating successfully.
Express needs, make plans and talk about how you feel
As you progress, your German becomes more flexible.
You learn to talk about what you can do, what you need to do and what you would like to do. You practise arranging appointments, asking for assistance and describing simple health problems.
Ich kann am Donnerstag kommen. I can come on Thursday.
Ich brauche einen Termin. I need an appointment.
Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. I have a headache.
You also explore everyday topics such as weather, clothing, celebrations and rules.
For learners, these topics offer growing independence. You have more ways to explain a situation, make a request or express a preference.
For teachers, they create opportunities to revisit familiar structures while gradually adding something new.
Begin talking about the past
A1 includes your first steps towards describing things that have already happened.
You begin to talk about everyday activities, a recent trip or your weekend using common past-tense forms.
Gestern habe ich gearbeitet. Yesterday, I worked.
Am Wochenende bin ich nach Berlin gefahren. At the weekend, I went to Berlin.
At this stage, your answers will still be simple. That is expected. Being able to move from “what I do” to “what I did” gives you much more to share in a conversation.
Understand the grammar - then use it
German grammar can look unfamiliar at first. Our job is to make it understandable and give you enough practice to start using it. Across A1, you encounter essential foundations such as verb forms, questions, word order, articles, plurals, negation, possessive forms, modal verbs, separable verbs and an introduction to cases and common prepositions.
You meet these gradually, in context.
Take word order:
Ich lerne heute Deutsch. I’m learning German today.
Heute lerne ich Deutsch. Today, I’m learning German.
The opening changes, but the conjugated verb stays in second position. Recognising a pattern like this helps you build your own sentences with more confidence.
We explain, demonstrate and practise - with English support when it helps make a point clear.
Be one of ten
The people in your classroom matter.
At GermanMind, our in-school groups have a maximum of 10 students. Our live online groups are smaller still, with a maximum of six.
Small groups give us room to hear you speak, notice where you need support and give you useful feedback. They also give you more opportunities to work with different classmates and practise asking and answering questions.
But group size is only part of the experience. We want you to feel comfortable walking through the door, asking a question and trying a sentence before you are completely sure of it. Our friendly team and supportive atmosphere help make that possible.
And the best classmates? The ones who give you time to finish, help you remember a word and laugh with you when German does something unexpected.
You bring your own reasons for learning. Together, you give each other reasons to keep going.
What can you expect after completing A1?
By the end of the full A1 level, the aim is to handle simple, familiar situations with growing confidence.
You should be able to introduce yourself, exchange basic personal information, talk about familiar parts of your life, make straightforward requests and understand short, simple texts and messages.
You should also be able to take part in basic conversations when the other person speaks clearly, slowly and is willing to help.
You will still need time to find words. You will still make mistakes. Regular attendance, revision and practice between lessons help you make the most of the course.
What changes is that you have a foundation to build on - and a clear next step towards A2.
Your first German conversation starts here
Perhaps you are learning for someone you love. Perhaps you are planning a move, thinking about work opportunities or finally doing something you have wanted to do for years.
Whatever brings you to German, you deserve a clear starting point and a classroom where you feel welcome.
Start with A1.1 if you are a complete beginner. If you have studied some German already, our team can help you find the right module.
Small groups. Clear structure. Good people.
We make it German.
