CEFR-aligned learning path · A1 to C2
French verbs by level
A practical sequence from the first 20 verbs you need as a beginner to 300 high-frequency verbs for advanced control, with the tense focus and communicative goals for every CEFR stage.
Choose your current French level
Start at the level where you can produce the forms reliably, not the highest list you partly recognize. Each page is cumulative: the A2 list includes the A1 foundation, B1 includes A1 and A2, and so on through C2.
| Level | Practical scope | Core tense focus |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 20 cumulative verbs | présent indicatif · impératif · futur proche |
| A2 | 50 cumulative verbs | passé composé · futur simple · présent indicatif · futur proche |
| B1 | 100 cumulative verbs | imparfait · conditionnel présent · passé composé · futur simple |
| B2 | 200 cumulative verbs | subjonctif présent · plus-que-parfait · conditionnel passé · futur antérieur · subjonctif passé |
| C1 | 250 cumulative verbs | passé simple · advanced subjonctif · all productive compound tenses |
| C2 | 300 cumulative verbs | passé antérieur · subjonctif imparfait · subjonctif plus-que-parfait · the complete tense system |
How these lists are built
CEFR does not publish an official verb list for each level. It describes abilities: introducing yourself at A1, narrating and explaining at B1, or controlling nuance and register at C1–C2. These pages translate those abilities into a practical study sequence.
The A1 foundation is curated for immediate communication. Higher levels retain that foundation and expand it using French corpus frequency, the Bonjour Verbs curriculum, and the tense systems associated with each CEFR band. The counts are study targets, not requirements for a certificate.
At advanced levels, progress is increasingly about choosing the precise verb, using natural collocations, and controlling register. Knowing 300 infinitives does not by itself make someone C2.