CEFR B1 in French: what you can do

B1 is the intermediate level, and the point where French starts to feel like a language you can talk in rather than a list of phrases. You can cope with most situations on a trip to a French-speaking country and express your thoughts on familiar topics. You still pause, and you still search for words, but you can usually explain what you mean.

What you can do

Deal with most situations while travelling: hotels, trains, restaurants and simple emergencies.
Describe experiences, events, hopes and plans, and give short reasons and explanations for opinions.
Tell a story or the plot of a film, linking events with words such as d'abord, ensuite, puis, enfin.
Follow the main points of clear, standard speech about work, school and leisure.
Write simple connected texts on familiar subjects, and personal letters about experiences.

A quick self-check

You are probably at B1 if you can do most of these:

Tell the story of a trip you took in a few minutes, using both past tenses.
Politely disagree with someone and say why.
Follow a French radio news report, and understand the main points.
Write an email of 120 to 150 words to a landlord or a hotel.
Give your opinion on a film using je pense que, à mon avis, selon moi.

Typical grammar at B1

Past tenses working together

At B1 the passé composé and imparfait must work together in one story. The imparfait sets the scene, and the passé composé moves it on. See passé composé vs imparfait. You also meet the plus-que-parfait (the past before the past): J'avais déjà mangé quand il est arrivé.

The future simple and the conditional

The future simple is formed from the infinitive plus -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont: je parlerai, nous finirons. The conditional uses the same stem with the imparfait endings: je parlerais, nous finirions. It gives polite requests and advice: Pourriez-vous m'aider ? Tu devrais te reposer. Some stems are irregular: serai, aurai, irai, ferai, pourrai.

Pronouns y and en

Y replaces à + a place or thing and en replaces de + a noun or a quantity: J'y vais demain. Tu en veux ? J'en ai trois. They are small words, but they appear in every conversation.

Relative pronouns

Qui, que, où and dont link clauses: le film que j'ai vu, la ville où j'habite, la personne dont je parle.

Reported speech, in simple form

Il dit qu'il est fatigué. Elle m'a demandé si j'avais faim. The sequence of tenses is the first test of your control.

The subjunctive, first steps

After expressions of necessity, wish and emotion, French uses the subjunctive: Il faut que tu viennes. Je veux qu'elle parte. Je suis content que vous soyez là. At B1 you learn the most common triggers and a few irregular verbs: être, avoir, aller, faire.

Vocabulary themes

Work, studies and the workplace
Media, news and technology
Environment and society
Travel problems and complaints
Feelings, opinions and relationships

What you may find hard

Agreement of the past participle. Les lettres que j'ai écrites. It is largely silent in speech but marked in writing.
The subjunctive. Do not try to learn every case. Learn the triggers first: il faut que, vouloir que, avoir peur que, être content que.
Speed of speech. Native speakers run words together. Practise with dictation and short podcasts.

The DELF B1 exam

DELF B1 is the level usually asked for in French citizenship applications. It tests listening, reading, writing and a speaking interview where you present an opinion.

How to practise at this level

Conversation matters most at B1. Try to speak or write every day, not only read. Use reading passages, then summarise them in your own words. When ready, move on to B2.