CEFR A1 · Beginner foundation
A1 French verbs: 20 essentials
Introduce yourself, describe a simple routine, express basic needs, and handle immediate everyday situations.
What to do with verbs at A1
The list is cumulative: these 20 verbs include the foundations from every earlier level. At A1, aim to produce the common forms in context, not merely recognize each infinitive.
- Give personal information and describe your daily routine.
- Ask for food, directions, prices, and basic help.
- Talk about simple plans with aller + infinitive.
Tense focus
présent indicatif · impératif · futur proche. Earlier-level tenses remain active and should become progressively more automatic.
A1 worked examples
Je m'appelle Lina et j'habite à Montréal.
My name is Lina and I live in Montreal.
Demain, je vais travailler à la maison.
Tomorrow, I am going to work from home.
Preparing for certification rather than general French? See the separate DELF A1 exam guide and strict-accent drill.
Prefer paper practice? Create a printable A1 French conjugation worksheet with a separate answer key.
The A1 foundation
These are the first verbs to make automatic.
Common questions
Is there an official A1 French verb list?
No. CEFR defines what learners can do at each level, not a mandatory vocabulary list. This is a practical Bonjour Verbs sequence combining communicative usefulness, corpus frequency, and the tense control expected around A1.
How many French verbs should I know at A1?
Use 20 verbs as a practical working target, not a certification rule. Reliable production matters more than recognizing a much longer list.
Which French tenses should I know at A1?
The main A1 verb focus in this sequence is: présent indicatif, impératif, futur proche. Earlier-level tenses remain part of the cumulative skill set.