CEFR A2 in Spanish: what you can do

A2 is the elementary level. You can deal with routine, everyday situations that need a simple exchange of information. You can describe your surroundings and talk about what you did, in short and connected sentences.

What you can do

• Describe your daily routine, your family, your home and your work in a few sentences.
• Shop for clothes and food, ask about sizes and prices, and handle a simple transaction.
• Talk about things that happened in the past, such as a weekend or a holiday, in simple terms.
• Talk about plans and arrangements: what you are going to do and when.
• Make and respond to simple invitations and suggestions, and say yes or no politely.
• Write a short, connected message about recent events.

Typical grammar at A2

• The preterite for completed past events: fui, comí, vivimos. The contrast with the imperfect comes later; see Preterite vs imperfect when you are ready.
• Ir a plus an infinitive for the near future: voy a estudiar.
• Gustar for likes and dislikes: me gusta, no me gusta, nos encantan.
• Comparatives: más... que, menos... que, tan... como.
• Stem-changing verbs in the present, such as quiero, puedo, prefiero.
• Object pronouns for direct and indirect objects: lo, la, le, me.

Vocabulary themes

Daily routines and time expressions, transport, health, weather, hobbies, work and study, and travel.

Example sentences at A2

• Ayer fui al mercado y compré frutas.
• Voy a visitar a mis abuelos el fin de semana.
• Este libro es más interesante que el otro.
• Me gusta cocinar, pero no me gusta lavar los platos.

What comes next

At B1, you describe experiences, give opinions and tell stories in the past, and you start to use the subjunctive. The B1 guide explains the next steps.