Essential A1 Redemittel for the Goethe Exam

Learning lists of vocabulary isn’t enough for the A1 Goethe exam.
You’ll need Redemittel — ready-made phrases for introductions, small talk, asking questions, and handling everyday role-play situations.

This guide gives you the core phrases, example Q&As, and the English meaning — all exam-accurate.

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1. Introducing Yourself

This always comes first.

Questions you may hear:

• Wie heißen Sie? → “What is your name?”
• Woher kommen Sie? → “Where are you from?”
• Wo wohnen Sie? → “Where do you live?”
• Wie alt sind Sie? → “How old are you?”
• Was sind Ihre Hobbys? → “What are your hobbies?”

Sample answers:

• Ich heiße Maria. → “My name is Maria.”
• Ich komme aus Indien. → “I come from India.”
• Ich wohne in Hamburg. → “I live in Hamburg.”
• Ich bin 20 Jahre alt. → “I’m 20 years old.”
• Meine Hobbys sind Lesen und Schwimmen. → “My hobbies are reading and swimming.”

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2. Talking About Family

Question: Hast du Geschwister? → “Do you have siblings?”
Correct answers:

• Ja, ich habe eine Schwester. → “Yes, I have a sister.”
• Ja, ich habe zwei Brüder. → “Yes, I have two brothers.”
• Nein, ich habe keine Geschwister. → “No, I don’t have siblings.”

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3. Asking for Clarification

Very useful when stuck; shows you can communicate.

• Können Sie das bitte wiederholen? → “Can you repeat that, please?”
• Wie schreibt man das? → “How do you spell that?”
• Entschuldigung, ich habe das nicht verstanden. → “Sorry, I didn’t understand.”
• Langsamer, bitte. → “Slower, please.”

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4. Everyday Role Plays

🎯 At the supermarket

• Was kostet das? → “How much is that?”
• Ich möchte ein Kilo Äpfel, bitte. → “I would like a kilo of apples, please.”
• Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen? → “Can I pay by card?”

🎯 At a restaurant

• Ich nehme ein Wasser, bitte. → “I’ll take a water, please.”
• Die Rechnung, bitte. → “The check, please.”
• Es schmeckt sehr gut. → “It tastes very good.”

🎯 Asking for directions

• Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof? → “Excuse me, where is the train station?”
• Gehen Sie geradeaus, dann links. → “Go straight ahead, then left.”

🎯 Making an appointment

• Wann treffen wir uns? → “When shall we meet?”
• Passt dir morgen um 15 Uhr? → “Does tomorrow at 3 p.m. work for you?”
• Leider habe ich da keine Zeit. → “Unfortunately, I don’t have time then.”

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5. Opinions and Reactions

• Ich finde Fußball interessant. → “I find football interesting.”
• Ich mag Pizza. → “I like pizza.”
• Ich trinke lieber Tee. → “I prefer tea.”
• Mein Lieblingsfilm ist Titanic. → “My favorite film is Titanic.”

Agreeing / disagreeing:

• Ja, genau. → “Yes, exactly.”
• Das stimmt. → “That’s true.”
• Nein, leider nicht. → “No, unfortunately not.”
• Wirklich? → “Really?”

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6. Writing Emails (Writing Task)

• Greeting: Liebe Anna, / Lieber Peter, → “Dear Anna / Dear Peter”
• Opening: Danke für deine E-Mail. → “Thanks for your email.”
• Closing: Viele Grüße, Maria → “Best regards, Maria”

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Quick Redemittel Table

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Final Tip

👉 Examiners don’t want perfection. They want to see that you can communicate in simple phrases.
That means knowing your Redemittel and practicing them until they become automatic.

If you can answer questions like “Hast du Geschwister?” naturally and use role-play phrases like “Die Rechnung, bitte” with confidence, you’re already on track to pass A1.