The A1 level is where every Lithuanian learner starts. It is
the first rung on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) ladder, and
the goal is simple: prove you can handle the very basics. You do not need to be
fluent. You do not need to read novels. You just need to show that you can
survive simple, everyday exchanges in Lithuanian.
But "the basics" can feel vague when you are
staring at a blank study plan. So here is a clear breakdown of what you should
focus on.
Greetings and Introductions
This is the first thing any A1 exam will test. You need to
know how to say hello, goodbye, and everything in between. Practice both formal
and informal greetings, because Lithuanian treats these differently.
You should be able to introduce yourself. That means stating
your name, where you are from, what language you speak, and what you do for
work or study. Simple sentences like "Mano vardas yra..." (My name
is...) and "Aš esu iš..." (I am from...) are essential. You should
also be able to ask these same questions to someone else and understand their
answers.
Personal Information
Beyond basic introductions, the exam expects you to talk
about yourself in a bit more detail. This includes your age, your phone number,
your address, and your family. You should know words for close family members
like mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, children.
Numbers are a big part of this topic. You need to know
numbers well enough to give your age, share a phone number, and talk about
dates. Practice counting from one to at least a hundred. Ordinal numbers
(first, second, third) also come up when talking about dates and addresses.
Everyday Objects and Places
The A1 level tests whether you can name common things around
you. Think about objects in your home, your classroom, or your workplace. Words
for table, chair, book, phone, computer, door, and window are all fair game.
You should also know basic places in a town or city. The
store, the bank, the post office, the hospital, the bus stop, the school, these
come up often. Being able to ask "Where is the...?" and understand
simple directions like left, right, and straight ahead will serve you well.
Daily Routines and Time
Talking about your day is a core A1 skill. You should
describe when you wake up, eat, go to work or school, and go to sleep. This
means you need to know time-related words: morning, afternoon, evening, today,
tomorrow, yesterday.
Telling time in Lithuanian is important here. Practice
saying what time it is and asking others for the time. Days of the week and
months of the year also fall under this topic. The exam may ask you to talk
about your weekly schedule or describe what you did on a certain day.
Food and Drink
Expect questions about meals, common foods, and ordering at
a café or restaurant. You should know words for bread, water, coffee, tea,
meat, vegetables, and fruit. Being able to say what you like and do not like to
eat is a typical A1 task.
Practice short dialogues at a restaurant. "I would
like..." and "How much does it cost?" are phrases you will need.
Menu-style reading tasks sometimes appear on A1 exams, so get comfortable
scanning short lists of food items and prices.
Shopping and Money
Basic shopping is closely tied to the food topic, but it
goes a bit further. You should be able to ask for prices, talk about what you
want to buy, and understand simple signs in a shop. Words for colors and sizes
often come up here too, since you might need to describe what you are looking
for.
Knowing Lithuanian currency terms and basic math words
helps. Practice short exchanges like "How much is this?" and
"That is too expensive."
Weather and Seasons
A1 exams often include simple weather talk. You should know
how to say it is hot, cold, rainy, sunny, or snowy. Seasons like winter,
spring, summer, autumn, are part of this topic. You might be asked what the
weather is like today or what season you prefer.
This topic is useful beyond the exam too. Weather is one of
the easiest small talk subjects in any language.
Health and Body
Basic body parts and simple health phrases round out the A1
topics. You should know words for head, hand, stomach, and other common body
parts. Being able to say "I am sick" or "My head hurts" is
enough at this level.
Short dialogues at a doctor's office sometimes appear. You
do not need medical terms. Just the basics: how you feel, where it hurts, and
whether you need help.
Grammar You Need to Know
A1 grammar stays simple, but Lithuanian grammar is never
truly easy. Here is what you should focus on:
- Nouns and gender. Lithuanian nouns are either masculine or
feminine. You need to recognize which is which based on word endings.
- Basic noun cases. You will not need all seven cases at A1,
but you should understand the nominative (subject) and accusative (object)
cases at a minimum. Some exams also test the locative case for talking about
places.
- Present tense verbs. You should be able to conjugate
common verbs in the present tense. "I eat," "you go,"
"he works" — that level of verb use is expected.
- Simple past tense. Being able to say what you did
yesterday or last week is part of A1. The simple past tense forms of common
verbs are enough.
- Basic adjectives. Know how to describe things as big,
small, good, bad, new, old, cheap, and expensive. Remember that adjectives in
Lithuanian must match the gender of the noun they describe.
How to Study These Topics
The best approach is to build your study plan around these
themes, one by one. Spend a week or two on each topic. Learn the key words
first, then practice short sentences, then try simple dialogues.
Use flashcards for vocabulary. Write out sample sentences by
hand. Record yourself speaking and listen back. If you can find a tutor or
language partner, practice each topic as a role-play exercise.
The A1 exam is not trying to trick you. It wants to see that
you can handle real-life basics in Lithuanian. Cover these topics well, and you
will walk in prepared.
