DELF A1 Vocabulary List: Essential Words by Topic

Key takeaways

• The DELF A1 tests four skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking, using everyday situations and simple vocabulary.
• A1 vocabulary covers basic greetings, numbers, time, family, colors, food, places, and common daily phrases.
• Knowing how to use words in context matters more than memorizing lists in isolation.
• A1 French requires around 500-700 vocabulary items for full coverage of the exam topics.
• A French tutor can help you practice producing A1 vocabulary in real speaking and writing tasks before your exam.

This guide gives you the essential DELF A1 vocabulary organized by topic so you can study purposefully rather than working through a random list. The DELF A1 is the first level of the Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française, awarded by the French Ministry of Education to certify beginner French proficiency.

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This guide covers seven core topic areas tested at A1: greetings and introductions, numbers and time, family and relationships, describing people and objects, food and drink, places and transport, and useful everyday phrases.

Topic 1: Greetings and introductions

French	English
Bonjour	Hello/Good morning
Bonsoir	Good evening
Salut	Hi (informal)
Au revoir	Goodbye
À bientôt	See you soon
Merci	Thank you
De rien	You’re welcome
Excusez-moi	Excuse me (formal)
Pardon	Pardon/Sorry
Comment vous appelez-vous?	What is your name? (formal)
Comment tu t’appelles?	What is your name? (informal)
Je m’appelle…	My name is…
Comment allez-vous?	How are you? (formal)
Ça va?	How are you? (informal)
Ça va bien, merci	I’m fine, thank you
Enchanté(e)	Pleased to meet you
Je suis…	I am…
J’ai… ans	I am… years old
Je viens de…	I come from…
J’habite à…	I live in…
S’il vous plaît	Please (formal)
S’il te plaît	Please (informal)

Practice these greetings until they feel automatic. The speaking examiner expects natural, fluent introductions and you should deliver them without hesitation.

Get native speaker feedback on your pronunciation and intonation from a French teacher on italki.

Topic 2: Numbers and time Numbers 0-20:

French	English
zéro	0
un / une	1
deux	2
trois	3
quatre	4
cinq	5
six	6
sept	7
huit	8
neuf	9
dix	10
onze	11
douze	12
treize	13
quatorze	14
quinze	15
seize	16
dix-sept	17
dix-huit	18
dix-neuf	19
vingt	20

Key numbers: trente (30), quarante (40), cinquante (50), soixante (60), soixante-dix (70), quatre-vingts (80), quatre-vingt-dix (90), cent (100), mille (1,000)

Days: lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche

Months: janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, août, septembre, octobre, novembre, décembre

Time expressions:

French	English
Il est… heures	It is… o’clock
le matin	morning
l’après-midi	afternoon
le soir	evening
la nuit	night
aujourd’hui	today
demain	tomorrow
hier	yesterday
maintenant	now
toujours	always
souvent	often
parfois	sometimes
jamais	never

Train yourself to tell time and give dates in French. These appear in both the reading and speaking sections.

Practice numbers and time with a French tutor online. Speed and accuracy in this area directly affect your DELF speaking score.

Topic 3: Family and relationships

French	English
la famille	family
les parents	parents
le père	father
la mère	mother
le frère	brother
la soeur	sister
le fils	son
la fille	daughter
le mari	husband
la femme	wife
les grands-parents	grandparents
le grand-père	grandfather
la grand-mère	grandmother
l’oncle	uncle
la tante	aunt
le cousin / la cousine	cousin (m/f)
un ami / une amie	friend (m/f)
célibataire	single
marié(e)	married

Know how to describe your family in French. The speaking section often includes questions about family structure and relationships.

Practice describing your family with a French language tutor. Fluent family descriptions come up in both DELF speaking and listening tests.

Topic 4: Describing people and objects

Colors:

French	English
blanc / blanche	white
noir / noire	black
rouge	red
bleu / bleue	blue
vert / verte	green
jaune	yellow
orange	orange
violet / violette	purple
gris / grise	grey
marron	brown
rose	pink

Common adjectives: grand(e), petit(e), jeune, vieux/vieille, beau/belle, sympa, intelligent(e), timide.

Identify colors and physical descriptions confidently. You’ll need these in describing people and objects in both reading passages and your own spoken responses.

Practice describing people and objects with online French tutors. Color vocabulary and adjective agreement come up frequently in the DELF exam.

Topic 5: Food and drink

French	English
le pain	bread
le café	coffee
le thé	tea
l’eau	water
le jus	juice
le lait	milk
la viande	meat
le poisson	fish
les légumes	vegetables
les fruits	fruit
la pomme	apple
la tomate	tomato
le fromage	cheese
l’oeuf	egg
Je voudrais…	I would like…
C’est combien?	How much is it?

Understand food and restaurant vocabulary. Many DELF A1 listening and reading tasks involve ordering food or talking about meals.

Role-play ordering at a café with French tutors online. This is one of the most common DELF test scenarios, and practicing it with a native speaker builds real confidence.

Topic 6: Places and transport

French	English
la ville	city
la rue	street
le marché	market
la pharmacie	pharmacy
l’hôpital	hospital
la gare	train station
l’aéroport	airport
le restaurant	restaurant
l’école	school
la banque	bank
le bus	bus
le métro	metro
le train	train
la voiture	car
à pied	on foot
tout droit	straight ahead
à gauche	to the left
à droite	to the right
près de	near
loin de	far from

Get comfortable with location and direction vocabulary. Navigation tasks appear regularly in DELF A1 listening and reading.

Practice asking for directions in one-on-one conversations with a French tutor on italki. Real-time feedback from a native speaker helps you master the register and phrasing of polite navigation requests.

Topic 7: Useful everyday phrases

French	English
Je comprends	I understand
Je ne comprends pas	I do not understand
Répétez, s’il vous plaît	Please repeat that
Parlez plus lentement	Speak more slowly
Où est…?	Where is…?
Il y a…	There is/There are…
Oui	Yes
Non	No
Je ne sais pas	I do not know
D’accord	OK/Agreed

Master these phrases for real exam situations. Memorizing them in a list is just the first step.

Work through these phrases with French teachers online in realistic conversations. Practicing with a native speaker ensures you can retrieve and use them under exam pressure.

With over 15 years of experience connecting learners to qualified teachers, italki has helped students in 190+ countries achieve their language learning goals. Book a trial lesson on italki today.

FAQ

How many words do I need for the DELF A1?

The DELF A1 draws on a core vocabulary of around 500-700 words covering everyday topics. You should be able to use these words in context, not just recognize them in a list.

Is the DELF A1 hard to pass?

The DELF A1 pass rate is high for students who prepare properly. Someone who has completed a genuine beginner’s French course (roughly 60-80 hours of study) is generally ready for it. The speaking section trips up students who have not practiced out loud enough.

Can I use the DELF A1 for immigration or work applications?

The DELF is accepted by French universities and government institutions. At A1, it demonstrates beginner-level competency. For most immigration or professional purposes in France, a higher level (B1 or above) is required, but the DELF A1 is a recognized starting point on the CEFR scale.

What’s the fastest way to reach A1 level?

Active speaking practice with a French tutor online accelerates your progress far beyond self-study. italki has connected learners with expert French tutors for 15+ years across 190+ countries.