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What is your current level of French?

Are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced?


Would you like to determine your current level in French? Below, you’ll find a detailed description of each CEFR level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), along with the essential vocabulary and grammar you need to master.


This information will help you assess your skills and identify the areas to focus on for effective progress.

A1 – Complete Beginner A2 – Advanced Beginner B1 – Intermediate B2 – Upper intermediate C1 – Advanced C2 – Full Mastery

A1 – Complete Beginner

At this stage, you learn simple phrases, how to introduce yourself, ask and answer basic questions, and interact in a basic way with a patient conversation partner.

You are A1 if you know the vocabulary for...

  • Greeting and introductions (​Bonjour, comment ça va? Mon nom est...)
  • Numbers, dates, days of the week
  • Colors, common objects, clothing
  • Family and relationships (père, mère, frère, soeur...)
  • Food and drinks (pain, café, eau, pomme...)
  • Places and directions (maison, école, hôpital, gauche, droite...)
  • Daily actions (se lever, manger, dormir, travailler...)

You are A1 if you have mastered these grammar elements:

  • Present tense verbs (je parle, tu manges…)
  • The verbs être (to be) and avoir (to have) in the present tense
  • Definite and indefinite articles (le, la, l', les, un, une, des)
  • Basic adjectives and agreement (un gros chien, une belle maison)
  • Formation of affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences (C'est un livre. Ce n'est pas un livre. Est-ce que c'est une livre?)
  • Prepositions of place (dans, sur, sous, à côté de...)

A2 – Advanced Beginner

At this level, you can handle everyday tasks like shopping, ordering at a restaurant, or talking about familiar topics such as family and work.

You are A2 if you know the vocabulary for...

  • Professions and workplaces (professeur, médecin, bureau...)
  • Hobbies and activities (cinéma, sport, musique...)
  • Transportation (bus, avion, ticket, gare...)
  • Shopping and money (prix, monnaie, carte bancaire...)
  • Health and well-being (santé, malade, douleur, fièvre...)

You are A2 if you have mastered these grammar elements:

  • The passé composé to talk about completed actions (Hier, j'ai mangé une pizza.)
  • The imparfait to describe and narrate (Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au football.)
  • The diffrecen between passé composé and imparfait
  • Time prepositions (en 2025, depuis 5 ans, pendant une heure...)
  • Pronominal verbs (je me lève, tu te laves...)​

B1 – Intermediate

At this level, you can participate in more complex conversations, talk about your experiences, express your opinions, and use multiple past tenses.

You are B1 if you know the vocabulary for...

  • News and society (politique, écologie, économie...)
  • Feelings and emotions (heureux, triste, stressé, fier...)
  • Media and technology (television, réseaux sociaux, ordinateur...)
  • Travel and vacations (hôtel, réservation, aéroport, valise...)​

You are B1 if you have mastered these grammar elements:

  • The futur simple (je partirai demain)
  • The conditionnel présent (je voudrais, tu aimerais)
  • ​Relative pronouns (qui, que, où)
  • Reported speech in the present (il dit qu'il est fatigué)
  • The passive voice (Ce livre a été écrit en 2000)​​

B2 – Upper intermediate

At this level, you can converse fluently, even on complex topics, and use more advanced grammatical structures..

You are B2 if you know the vocabulary for…

  • Debates and arguments (avantages, inconvénients, conséquences…)
  • Jobs and business (entretien, CV, compétences, salaire…)
  • Literature and the arts (roman, peinture, cinéma, théâtre…)
  • Philosophy and abstract concepts (liberté, justice, égalité…)

You are B2 if you have mastered these grammar elements:

  • The subjonctif présent (Il faut que tu viennes…)
  • Reported speech in the past (Il a dit qu’il viendrait…)
  • Advanced logical connectors (néanmoins, en revanche, d’ailleurs…)
  • Compound tenses (plus-que-parfait, conditionnel passé…)

C1 – Advanced

At this level, you understand nuances in the language, including implied meanings and subtleties. You can write complex texts and express yourself with great precision.

You are C1 if you know the vocabulary for…

  • Professional and academic language
  • Advanced idiomatic expressions
  • Philosophical and political concepts

You are C1 if you have mastered these grammar elements:

  • The subjonctif imparfait and plus-que-parfait
  • Inversion in formal questions (Seriez-vous disponible… ?)
  • The use of tenses in hypothetical situations (Si j’avais su, je serais venu…)

C2 – Full Mastery

A this level, you have near-native fluency and are capable of understanding and using all the subtilities of the French lanaguage.

You are C2 if you know…

  • Formal and archaic language
  • Wordplay and subtle humor
  • Highly specialized vocabulary

You are C2 if you have mastered…

  • All nuances of the subjonctif and conditionnel
  • Rhetoric and advanced argumentation
  • Figures of speech and literary writing

 So, what is your level?


After reading these descriptions, have you identified your level? If you would like a more precise assessment, feel free to contact me for a personalized evaluation and advice on the best way to improve your French.


📩 Don't hesitate to book a lesson to make effective progress!​