A2 level in French: the stage where conversations start to last

Monday morning, at the coffee machine, a colleague asks you: "Comment s'est passé ton week-end ?" (How was your weekend?). You understood, and you would like to tell them about your hike in the rain. But the words come out in the wrong order, you answer "Bien, merci" (Fine, thanks), and the exchange stops there.

A2 level corresponds precisely to the moment when this kind of scene starts to change. You can now talk about what you did, explain why you can't come or react to a small unexpected event, as long as the situation remains familiar.

How long does it take to reach A2 level in French?

The pace of progress varies from one person to another. Starting from zero, the Alliance Française benchmarks place A2 level at around 160 to 200 hours of lessons, roughly a hundred hours more than for A1.

At this stage, it is no longer about discovering the language, but about connecting the foundations you have already acquired. Contact with French outside lessons, at the office, on the train or with your neighbours, then makes a real difference.

What is A2 level on the CEFR scale?

A2 level is the second step of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It completes the basic user stage, just before B1, which marks the start of independence.

Here is where A2 sits among the six levels of the scale:

The difference between A2 and B1 lies mainly in the unexpected. At A2 level, you talk about the past, you link your ideas with parce que (because) or mais (but) and you handle everyday exchanges, as long as they remain predictable. At B1 level, you can bounce back on a new topic and defend your opinion. Locating this boundary lets you measure the distance covered, and the distance that remains.

What can you really do with A2 level in French?

Imagine a note from the property management in your building: the buanderie (laundry room) will be closed on Thursday for a repair. You understand the essentials and reply to ask for another time slot. The next day, you call the medical practice to move an appointment and you understand the essential information given by the assistant.

Nothing spectacular on the surface. Yet this is exactly what A2 level changes: these simple tasks gradually become accessible without systematically having to ask for help.

You can talk about a weekend or a holiday, describe your home and your background, compare two offers, justify being late or understand the gist of an announcement at the station.

The aim of A2 is therefore not yet fluency. It is to let you take part in everyday exchanges without preparing every sentence in advance.

Perhaps you can already handle the call to the medical practice, but not yet the message to the property management? To find out where you stand:

Test your level online for free >

What do you learn in an A2 French course?

At A2 level, the work mainly consists of connecting existing foundations so that you can say more.

You discover the passé composé, the past tense used in speech (j'ai travaillé, I worked; je suis parti, I left), as well as verbs such as pouvoir (can), devoir (must) or avoir le droit de (to be allowed to). Sentences get longer thanks to parce que (because) or que (that), and vocabulary opens up to housing, health, work and leisure.

Little by little, your answers grow. Where you used to string together a few words, you now tell a short story with a beginning and an end.

What is A2 level in French useful for in Switzerland?

In French-speaking Switzerland, A2 above all transforms the nature of your relationships. You no longer simply greet your neighbours or colleagues: you exchange a few sentences with them.

Understanding a message from your children's school, chatting during the lunch break or explaining a problem at the counter are simple moments, but they count for a lot when it comes to feeling at home.

A2 level also matters for administrative procedures. For the ordinary granting of a C permit, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) requires at least A2 level orally and A1 in writing. For naturalisation, the minimum federal requirements are B1 orally and A2 in writing.

A2 thus becomes a concrete milestone, both for your social life and for the next stage of your journey in Switzerland.

Standard French or Swiss French: what changes at A2 level?

At A2 level, a new gap often appears: you follow your lessons better and better, but your French-speaking Swiss colleagues much less when they chat among themselves.

This is completely normal. Lessons remain focused on standard French, the French of documents, announcements and exams, while in everyday life French-speaking Swiss people readily use regional expressions.

Yet your ear starts to pick up a few expressions, such as septante (seventy) or service (you're welcome). And when in doubt, a simple question is enough: "Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement, s'il vous plaît ?" (Could you speak more slowly, please?).

How can you move from A1 to A2 level without losing motivation?

After the enthusiasm of the first weeks, many people feel they are stagnating. In reality, this is often the period when knowledge consolidates.

To keep up the momentum, give French a concrete place in your week. In the evening, summarise your day in three sentences in the passé composé, or use a phone call or a purchase to try out a new phrase.

Accept hesitations, too. At A2 level, what matters is that your message gets across, and an imperfect sentence that moves the conversation forward is worth more than a perfect sentence you never dare to say.

How can you officially certify your A2 level in French?

For a permit, a professional application or simply to validate a milestone, it can be useful to have your level recognised. The DELF A2, the telc Français A2 and the TCF certify it internationally.

In Switzerland, the fide test assesses oral and written skills separately and can be used to certify your language skills in certain administrative procedures.

These exams check that you can understand an announcement or a short message, write a simple text about your daily life and talk about familiar topics.

A2 level, the moment the conversation continues

Think back to that Monday morning at the coffee machine. With A2 level, you answer: "J'étais à la montagne, mais il a plu toute la journée !" (I was in the mountains, but it rained all day!). Your colleague smiles, asks you another question, and this time, the exchange no longer stops at the first word.

B1 awaits you next, then the independence described in our article on B2 level in French.