This comprehensive French A1 curriculum was developed by David Issokson, a graduate of McGill University and professional French teacher since 2014. Grounded in a structured, pedagogical approach, these lessons are designed to guide complete beginners from their first French words to practical A1-level communication.
French A1 is the beginner level of the CEFR framework. French A1 lessons focus on the essential skills you need to introduce yourself, understand simple questions, use common verbs and communicate in basic everyday situations.
This beginner curriculum organizes the most important topics into a clear learning path. Start with the basics and work through each section in order.
Beginner Foundations
Start with French pronunciation, essential words and the basic information you need to understand simple spoken and written French.
- French pronunciation and reading rules
- French alphabet
- Top 100 French words
- French numbers 1–100
- Days of the week
- Months of the year
- Telling time in French
Greetings & Basic Conversation
Learn how to greet people, introduce yourself and handle your first simple conversations in French.
- French greetings
- Bonjour — hello, good morning
- Salut — hi, bye
- Au revoir — goodbye
- Merci beaucoup — thank you very much
- S’il vous plaît — please
- Je m’appelle — my name is
- Tu vs vous
- French nationalities, countries and languages
Essential A1 Grammar
These lessons cover the basic grammar you need to form simple French sentences and ask questions.
Sentence structure
Nouns & adjectives
Questions & negation
- Asking questions in French
- Est-ce que
- French question words (coming soon)
- French negation
Essential A1 Verbs
At A1, focus on the present tense and the small group of verbs that appear constantly in everyday French.
Verb basics
Core verbs
- Être — to be
- Avoir — to have
- Aller — to go
- Faire — to do, make
- Vouloir — to want
- Pouvoir — can, to be able
- Devoir — must, to have to
- Prendre — to take
- Venir — to come
Everyday French Vocabulary
Build vocabulary around the subjects beginners are most likely to talk about.
- French family vocabulary
- French food vocabulary
- French clothing vocabulary
- French home vocabulary
- French jobs vocabulary
- French hobbies vocabulary
- French weather vocabulary
- Feelings and emotions vocabulary
Practical French
These lessons help you use basic French in common real-life situations.
- How to order food in French
- Je voudrais
- How to ask for the bill
- French shopping vocabulary
- How to say how much in French
- How to ask directions in French
- French train vocabulary
- French hotel vocabulary
- French airport vocabulary and phrases
Listening & Speaking Practice
Begin listening to French early so that you connect vocabulary and grammar with real pronunciation.
- Top 100 French words with native audio
- French greetings with native audio
- Top 10 French verbs with native audio
First Past & Future Forms
Once you are comfortable with present-tense French, start learning how to talk simply about the past and future.
- French near future tense
- Recent past with venir de
- French passé composé
- French past participles
- French imperfect tense
Want to use your A1 French in real conversations?
Learning beginner grammar and vocabulary is essential, but understanding native speakers also requires regular listening practice. À Moi Paris combines clear French explanations with realistic dialogues and natural spoken French to help you move from A1 lessons to real-world communication.
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