Goethe A1 Sprechen practice: Teil 1, 2 and 3 with real German lines
The speaking test of the Goethe-Zertifikat A1 (Start Deutsch 1) is taken in a group and lasts about 15 minutes. It has three parts: you introduce yourself, you ask and answer simple questions on an everyday topic, and you make a request and react to one. Below, each part has real lines from a German speaker that you can hear, record and compare, then change to say something true about you.
Start with the first sentence of Teil 1
Ich heiße Markus.
Meaning: “My name is Markus.”
1:00–1:04 · opens on “After the speaker”
Say it after the speaker, then once with your own name: „Ich heiße …“
How the A1 speaking test works
The Goethe-Institut describes the speaking section as done in a group, about 15 minutes long. In its model test (Modellsatz) the three parts are:
- Teil 1, Sich vorstellen: you introduce yourself with the help of keywords. The examiner then asks you to spell something (buchstabieren), such as your name or where you live, and to say a number, such as a phone number.
- Teil 2, Um Informationen bitten und Informationen geben: you draw cards on an everyday topic (the model test uses Einkaufen and Wochenende), ask another candidate a question, and answer theirs.
- Teil 3, Bitten formulieren und darauf reagieren: you draw cards with an everyday object and make a request, like the model’s „Ein Glas Wasser, bitte!“, and react to your partner’s.
Sources, read on 25 October 2026: the Goethe-Institut’s exam information and its A1 model test (PDF).
Teil 1: Sich vorstellen (introduce yourself)
The model test’s keywords lead to sentences like „Mein Name ist …“, „Ich komme aus …“, „Ich lebe in …“, „Ich spreche …“ and „Mein Hobby ist …“. Practise the speaker’s versions first, then replace the end with your own facts, out loud.
Ich heiße Markus.
Meaning: “My name is Markus.”
1:00–1:04 · opens on “After the speaker”
Ich komme aus Italien.
Meaning: “I come from Italy.”
1:09–1:14 · opens on “After the speaker”
Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.
Meaning: “I speak a little German.”
1:19–1:24 · opens on “After the speaker”
Ich lese gern ein Buch.
Meaning: “I like reading a book.”
3:17–3:22 · opens on “After the speaker”
Then practise what the examiner asks next: spell your first name and your city letter by letter in German, and say your phone number digit by digit. These are not in the lines above, so say them aloud on your own.
Teil 2: Um Informationen bitten und Informationen geben (ask and answer)
On your card you get a topic and one word. Make a short question from it, and answer your partner’s question in one full sentence. These lines are from shopping and food, two everyday topics:
Ich trinke morgens Kaffee.
Meaning: “I drink coffee in the morning.”
2:24–2:29 · opens on “After the speaker”
Wie viel kostet das?
Meaning: “How much does that cost?”
5:36–5:41 · opens on “After the speaker”
Wo finde ich den Reis?
Meaning: “Where do I find the rice?”
6:35–6:40 · opens on “After the speaker”
Der Reis ist links im Regal.
Meaning: “The rice is on the left on the shelf.”
6:45–6:51 · opens on “After the speaker”
Change them for other cards: „Wie viel kostet das Brot?“, „Wo finde ich die Milch?“, „Ich trinke morgens Tee.“
Teil 3: Bitten formulieren und darauf reagieren (requests)
Your card shows an object or a situation. Ask politely, with Sie for someone you don’t know and du for a friend, and answer your partner’s request with a short reaction such as „Ja, natürlich.“
Können Sie mir helfen?
Meaning: “Can you help me?”
6:26–6:30 · opens on “After the speaker”
Kannst du langsam sprechen?
Meaning: “Can you speak slowly?”
2:03–2:08 · opens on “After the speaker”
Ja, ich spreche langsam.
Meaning: “Yes, I’m speaking slowly.”
2:13–2:19 · opens on “After the speaker”
A 10-minute routine before the exam
- Record the four Teil 1 lines after the speaker, then say your own five sentences about yourself twice.
- Spell your name and your city aloud, and say your phone number.
- Record the Teil 2 lines, then make two new questions from any topic word, such as Wochenende or Familie.
- Record the three Teil 3 lines, then make two requests of your own and answer them.
For more German lines by level, from A1 to B2, see German speaking practice with shadowing.
What Sada does and does not do
Sada shows which of your words it recognised, which it missed, and your timing against the speaker. It does not score the exam, does not predict a Goethe result and does not grade individual sounds. Speech recognition runs on your device, and your recordings stay there. Free, with no account.
The eleven lines and their times are from the hand-written captions of Learn to Speak German in 20 Minutes | Shadowing (German Shadowing), checked against the captions Sada uses on 25 October 2026. The speaker says each sentence twice; each exercise starts at the first time.
Questions people ask
What happens in Goethe A1 Sprechen?
You take it in a group, for about 15 minutes. In Teil 1 you introduce yourself and spell a word and say a number; in Teil 2 you ask and answer questions on an everyday topic; in Teil 3 you make a request and react to one.
What should I say in Goethe A1 Sprechen Teil 1?
Your name, where you come from, where you live, the languages you speak and your hobby, in short full sentences: “Ich heiße …”, “Ich komme aus …”, “Ich lebe in …”, “Ich spreche …”, “Mein Hobby ist …”. Practise them aloud until they come without thinking.
How can I practise Goethe A1 speaking alone?
Hear short German lines, say them after the speaker, record yourself and compare; then change each line to say something true about you. The routine on this page takes about ten minutes.
Does Sada score my Goethe A1 speaking?
No. Sada shows the words it recognised and your timing against the speaker. It does not score the exam or grade individual sounds.