A1 Level English Vocabulary with Meanings and Examples

Diziyle ÖğrenMarch 10, 2025 6 min read

A1 is the most basic level in the Common European Framework (CEFR). At this level the goal is to learn the core words you need to introduce yourself, ask simple questions and express everyday needs. Below you'll find the word groups you'll encounter most often at A1, with meanings and example sentences.

Core verbs

be: I am a student.
have: I have a brother.
do: What do you do?
go: I go to school.
want: I want some water.
like: I like coffee.

Frequent nouns

time, day, year
house, school, work
family, friend, food
water, money, name

Basic adjectives

good / bad
big / small
new / old
happy / sad
hot / cold

Everyday set phrases

Hello / Hi — a greeting
How are you? — asking about someone's wellbeing
Thank you — expressing gratitude
Excuse me — getting attention or apologising
I don't understand — signalling confusion

How to learn A1 words

The biggest mistake at A1 is trying to memorise words as a plain list. A far more effective approach is to learn each word inside a short sentence. Remembering "water" through "I want some water" reinforces both the meaning and the usage at the same time.

Reinforce with series

A1 words repeat constantly in simple sitcoms about everyday life. Shows like Friends or Full House let you hear these core words in natural context over and over. Mine 5 new words from each episode, save the meaning and the example sentence, then review with regular quizzes.

Your first goal

About 500-1000 core words are enough to complete the A1 level. If you learn 5-10 words a day, you'll hit that target within a few months and start understanding simple conversations and expressing yourself. Be patient, take a small step every day, and don't forget to review what you've learned.

A1 English word list PDF

If you'd rather print the words and study them on paper, you can download the PDF below. The PDF is available to Premium members. Alongside unlimited PDF downloads, Premium also unlocks the vocabulary used in the series and our exclusive content.

A1 English Word List.pdf

A1 English word list

You can study the list below with quizzes, free of charge. Click the sound icon to hear each word's pronunciation, and hover a word to see it used in an example sentence. Tap any word you already know to drop it from the list — if you sign in, the words you have already learned are removed automatically, so you only focus on the ones you don't know yet.

Words & meanings

980 words

Go to Quiz

CEFR level