Learn German · Level B1
The level where German becomes independent
At B1 you no longer need simplified German. You follow normal conversations, say what you think and why, and handle work and official business in German instead of switching to English.
The course
B1 at a glance
B1 assumes A2, but no certificate is required. Many people arrive with uneven German: fluent in daily life, shaky on grammar. The free trial lesson establishes where you actually stand.
Starting point
A2 or equivalentFree level check in your trial lesson
Format
One to one, pair or group1, 2 or 3–8 participants
Lesson duration
50 or 80 minutes50 one to one and in a pair · 80 in a group
Frequency
1–3× per week4, 8 or 12 lessons a month
Times
FlexibleMornings, evenings, weekends
Where
100% onlineVia Google Meet
Materials
IncludedDigital, in Google Docs. No textbook to buy
Price
from €69 / monthgroup · pair from €85 · one to one from €109
Outcomes
What you'll be able to do after B1
B1 is the level where German speakers stop simplifying for you. You keep up even when nobody slows down.
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Follow normal conversation
Keep up at natural speed, and ask someone to repeat without losing the thread of what's being said.
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Hold your own position
Agree, disagree, weigh things up. With Konjunktiv II you can talk about what would be, not only what is.
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Work in German
Follow a meeting, explain a process, write the email afterwards. The passive voice that runs through workplace German stops getting in the way.
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Deal with offices and contracts
Understand letters from the authorities, rental contracts and insurance, and query them yourself when something isn't clear.
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Tell a longer story
Lay out events in the right order, using sequence and connectors rather than a string of separate sentences.
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Read and write real texts
Get the substance of a news article, and write a formal email or complaint in the right register.
Learning pathway
Your way through B1
B1 is less about new words than about connections: subordinate clauses, references, time frames. Your sentences stop standing side by side.
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Step 1 · from A2
Joining sentences together
Relative clauses, connectors, infinitive with zu. Instead of short statements you build a connected thought, which is the most audible jump at this level.
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Step 2 · range
Passive, Konjunktiv, time frames
Passive voice, Plusquamperfekt, future tense, verbs with prepositions. This is what opens up workplace German, the news and official documents.
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Step 3 · on to B2
Completing B1
You consolidate everything and move up to B2, or prepare specifically for a certificate if you need one.
Common questions before starting
I'm not sure I'm really at B1 yet.
That's the normal situation at this level. Plenty of people speak fluently in daily life but have gaps in grammar, or the other way round. In the free trial lesson we listen and place you, with no test and no certificate needed.
I need B1 for a certificate or for the authorities.
Then bring your date. The plan is built backwards from the exam, with the four exam skills practiced separately. Tell us in the trial lesson which exam it is.
What does a lesson look like?
A lesson runs 50 minutes: 10 minutes warm-up and review, 20 minutes new material, 15 minutes speaking and practice, 5 minutes homework and feedback.
How long does B1 take?
It depends mostly on frequency. Olena started at A2 and reached B2 in six months at three lessons a week, passing through B1 on the way. At one lesson a week the path is correspondingly longer.
Information on the other language levels can be found here:
Choose how you learn best
Three ways to learn. One goal. / Pick the format that fits your life:
