German A1 Course: Free (Goethe A1 / Start Deutsch 1)

Learn German from absolute zero to A1 (Goethe-Zertifikat A1 / Start Deutsch 1), completely free. This online German A1 course is built for people who are moving to Germany, applying for a visa or job, or simply starting German for the first time. Every module has short video lessons with the vocabulary and grammar you actually need in everyday life in Germany.

What you will learn in this free German A1 course

The course has 12 modules and 50 video lessons that follow the A1 level of the Common European Framework (CEFR). You start with the German alphabet, pronunciation (ä, ö, ü and ß) and numbers, then move step by step through the topics that come up in the A1 exam and in real life:

• Greetings, introducing yourself, countries, languages and nationalities
• Family, your flat and furniture, food, drinks and shopping at the supermarket
• Ordering in a restaurant, telling the time, days, months and your daily routine
• Clothes, colours, prices, hobbies, the weather and the seasons
• Jobs and workplaces, dates, and filling in a form such as the Anmeldung
• The body, visiting the doctor, making an appointment, transport, directions and travel

German A1 grammar made simple

Grammar is taught in small steps with clear examples: sein, haben and heißen, W-questions and yes/no questions, articles (der, die, das / ein, eine), possessive articles, the accusative and dative, separable verbs, modal verbs (können, müssen, dürfen, sollen), the imperative, conjunctions and the perfect tense.

Goethe A1 / Start Deutsch 1 exam preparation

The final module is exam training for all four parts of the Goethe A1 exam: listening, reading, writing and speaking. You also practise writing a short e-mail or postcard, a typical A1 writing task.

Who this course is for

This course is for complete beginners, Indian and international students, Ausbildung and job seekers, and family reunion visa applicants who need an A1 certificate. No previous German is needed.

How to start

The course is 100% free. Create a free account with your email, confirm your email address, and all lessons unlock straight away. Learn at your own pace on your phone or laptop. When you finish A1, you can continue with A2 and B1 with our German language courses.