German A2: Elementary
German A2 Course: Learn German A2 Online and Pass the A2 Exam in 8 Weeks
You've finished A1. Now learn to talk about your life in German.
This German A2 course is for learners who already have the basics. You'll learn to say what you did last weekend, explain why you're late, compare two flats, give your opinion and get through a doctor's appointment or a call with your landlord. Along the way you build your A2 vocabulary (Wortschatz) and grammar (Grammatik), and by week 8 you're at German A2 level and ready for the Goethe-Zertifikat A2.
Our approach
Why A2 feels harder than A1, and what we do about it
A1 gives you phrases. A2 asks you to put them together. Within the first two weeks you need the past tense, the dative starts appearing in almost every sentence, and you're expected to explain yourself with weil and dass. This is where a lot of self-learners stall. Every batch covers the same 14 units, but each group gets stuck in different places. Some students write clean sentences and then go quiet when it's their turn to speak. Others talk easily and keep mixing up in der and in die. Your teacher watches for that and spends the extra time where your group needs it.
What makes us different
How We Teach A2
German A2 Syllabus: What You'll Learn in A2
Every grammar point below is explained with an example on the German A2 grammar page.
A2.1 · Weeks 1–4
Start this part →Life stories and family
Talking about your family, a move to a new city, how your first weeks went, and why you feel the way you do.
Grammar: weil clauses, Perfekt of separable, inseparable and -ieren verbs, Geetas Mutter / die Mutter von Geeta
Home and neighbours
Saying where things are and where you're putting them, house rules in an apartment building, notes to neighbours, asking for help.
Grammar: Wechselpräpositionen (auf den Tisch / auf dem Tisch), stellen/stehen, legen/liegen, dahin, rein, raus
Food and eating out
How often you eat what, kitchen vocabulary, being a guest at someone's home, ordering and paying in a restaurant.
Grammar: frequency words (nie, selten, oft, immer), indefinite pronouns (einer, eins, eine)
Working life
Messages at work, phone calls with colleagues, talking about work and free time, giving someone advice.
Grammar: wenn clauses, Konjunktiv II of sollen (Du solltest ...)
Sport and health
Fitness tips, signing up at a sports club, asking about and describing your interests.
Grammar: reflexive verbs (sich bewegen), verbs with prepositions (warten auf), worauf? / darauf
School and training
The German school system, your own school days, apprenticeships and further training, your dream job, giving your opinion.
Grammar: Präteritum of modal verbs (musste, konnte, wollte), dass clauses
Celebrations and gifts
Gift ideas, recommending something, short messages about a wedding, planning a party.
Grammar: dative objects, word order with two objects, von + dative
A2.2 · Weeks 5–8
Start this part →Weekends and events
Reading event listings, talking about wishes and plans, making suggestions and reacting to them.
Grammar: Konjunktiv II (wäre, hätte, würde, könnte), trotzdem
The things you own
Describing objects and materials, saying what you think of a flat or a shop, comparing products before you buy.
Grammar: adjective endings after ein/kein, comparative and superlative, als / wie, adjectives with -los
Communication and the post office
Phones and messages, filling in forms, sending a parcel and asking for information at the counter.
Grammar: present passive (Hier wird ... eingetragen), Was für ein ...?, adjective endings after der/die/das
Getting around
Asking for and giving directions, understanding traffic news on the radio, talking about the weather.
Grammar: prepositions of place (durch, entlang, gegenüber, an ... vorbei, um ... herum), deshalb, adjectives with -bar, -ig, -isch
Travel and booking
Choosing where to go, reading accommodation ads, booking a trip over the phone, planning a weekend away.
Grammar: am Meer / ans Meer, in den Bergen / in die Berge, adjective endings without an article, ohne
Banking and services
Opening a bank account, cards and cash machines, asking about payment options, getting something repaired.
Grammar: indirect questions with W-words and ob, the verb lassen (Ich lasse mein Fahrrad reparieren)
Life stages and exam review
Talking about yourself and the people who matter to you, wishes and dreams, a full A2 mock exam. You leave ready for B1.
Grammar: review of weil, dass and wenn, Perfekt and Präteritum, Konjunktiv II, word building
By the end
German A2 level: what you'll be able to do
- ✓Tell someone what you did yesterday, on your last holiday or in your last job, using the Perfekt and the most common Präteritum forms.
- ✓Give reasons and opinions in longer sentences with weil, dass and wenn, so you sound less like a phrasebook.
- ✓Handle a doctor's visit, a flat viewing, a bank appointment or a phone call in German from start to finish.
- ✓Write short emails and messages, reply to an invitation and fill in forms. These are the same tasks you'll see in the A2 exam.
- ✓Follow announcements, short articles and clear everyday conversations, and start B1 with confidence.
Be honest with yourself
The time commitment
Eight weeks is fast. A2 has more grammar than A1, so plan for live class time plus homework between sessions. The students who move quickest review vocabulary every day, even for 10 minutes, and write three or four sentences in the past tense most evenings. If your week is already full with work or college, a semi-intensive pace covers the same 14 units over a longer period. Ask us about it during your placement test.
Level guide
What is German A2 level?
German A2 is the second of the six levels in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). At A2 you understand sentences and common expressions about everyday topics such as family, shopping, work and your neighbourhood. You can manage simple, routine conversations and describe your background and your needs in plain words. It's the level of the Goethe-Zertifikat A2 and the last step before B1.
Here's how Deutsch A2 differs from A1 in practice:
| Area | A1 | A2 |
|---|---|---|
| Time | Mostly present tense | Perfekt plus the Präteritum of sein, haben and modal verbs |
| Sentences | Short main clauses | Linked ideas with weil, dass, wenn, ob, deshalb and trotzdem |
| Cases | Nominative and accusative | Dative, Wechselpräpositionen and adjective endings |
| Situations | Introductions, ordering, directions | Doctor, flat, workplace, bank, post office, phone calls |
| Writing | A form or a short note | Emails and messages that give reasons and suggestions |
Not sure you're ready? Take the free German A2 test and get your level in about 25 minutes. If you're starting from zero, begin with our German A1 course.
Exam
The German A2 Exam (A2 Prüfung): Format, Timing and Passing Score
If you're searching for the A2 exam German learners take most often, it's the Goethe-Zertifikat A2. Teenagers can take a separate youth version, Goethe-Zertifikat A2 Fit in Deutsch. telc Deutsch A2 and the ÖSD Zertifikat A2 are also widely accepted, so check which one your visa office, employer or university asks for.
The Goethe A2 Prüfung has four parts:
| Part | Time | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Lesen (reading) | 30 min | Short newspaper articles, emails, adverts and notices, with tasks on each. |
| Hören (listening) | about 30 min | Everyday conversations, phone messages, announcements and short radio interviews. |
| Schreiben (writing) | 30 min | Two short messages about your everyday life, such as a text message and an email. |
| Sprechen (speaking) | about 15 min | Usually with a partner: ask and answer questions, talk about your life and plan something together. |
The written part runs for 90 minutes with no break. The exam is marked out of 100 points (75 for the written part, 25 for speaking), and you need 60 points to pass. Exam rules do change, so confirm the details with your exam centre before you register.
Everything tested in the German A2 exam is covered by the 14 units above, and unit 14 is set aside for exam practice. Most people can't practise the Sprechen part on their own. In our live classes you speak with a partner every week, in the same format as the exam, so by exam day the format is familiar.
Grammar, syllabus and exam
German A2 grammar, syllabus and exam in one place
German A2 syllabus PDF
All 14 units of the A2 course with their grammar, week by week, to keep or print.
Download the PDF →German A2 exam
How the Goethe A2 exam works: the four parts, timing and the points you need to pass.
A2 exam guide →German A2 grammar
Every A2 grammar point, unit by unit, with a plain-English explanation and an example sentence.
See A2 grammar →Prefer to study offline? The free German A2 syllabus PDF lists every unit above with its grammar, so you can plan your revision week by week.
FAQ
German A2 course, syllabus and exam: questions
Yes. A2 picks up exactly where A1 ends, so you should already be able to introduce yourself, use the present tense and get through simple everyday situations. If you learned German somewhere else, take the free A2 placement test and we'll tell you whether A2 is the right place to start.
8 weeks intensive, split into two 4-week parts (A2.1 and A2.2). You can book them one at a time or together. If you need a lighter pace, ask about semi-intensive scheduling during your placement test. You'll cover the same 14 units over a longer period.
14 units: 7 in A2.1 and 7 in A2.2. They run from talking about your own past to a full timed mock exam.
It's the next step after A1. Our German A2 course (Deutschkurs A2) runs for 8 weeks in live online classes with a small batch, covers 14 units of everyday topics and grammar, and prepares you for the Goethe A2 exam.
Right here, in live classes with a teacher and speaking practice in every lesson. Between classes you can review the basics with the free A1 notes, flashcards and exercises on this site.
Most learners take the Goethe-Zertifikat A2. The written part lasts 90 minutes with no break: Lesen (30 minutes), Hören (about 30 minutes) and Schreiben (30 minutes). Sprechen takes about 15 minutes and is usually done in pairs. telc Deutsch A2 and the ÖSD Zertifikat A2 are also widely accepted.
The Goethe-Zertifikat A2 is marked out of 100 points: 75 for the written part and 25 for speaking. You pass with 60 points. Exam rules do change, so confirm the details with your exam centre before you register.
Yes. Every unit trains reading, listening, writing and speaking, and unit 14 is set aside for exam practice, including a timed mock test and paired speaking in the Goethe A2 format.
The German A2 syllabus has 14 units: life stories and family, home and neighbours, food and eating out, working life, sport and health, school and training, celebrations and gifts, weekends and events, the things you own, communication and the post office, getting around, travel and booking, banking and services, and life stages with exam review. The grammar includes the Perfekt, the Präteritum of modal verbs, Wechselpräpositionen, the dative, subordinate clauses with weil, dass, wenn and ob, adjective endings, comparison, the present passive, lassen and Konjunktiv II.
Yes, and it's free. Download the German A2 syllabus PDF (all 14 units with their grammar, week by week) from the button on this page. We don't share copyrighted coursebook PDFs.
A2 is the second of the six CEFR levels. At German A2 level you understand sentences and common expressions about everyday topics, you can handle simple routine tasks, and you can describe your background, your surroundings and your immediate needs in simple words.
That depends on your visa. A few routes, such as the Chancenkarte points system or the family reunion visa, accept A1 or A2. Most jobs, nursing recognition and permanent residence ask for B1 or higher, and A2 gets you ready for B1.