A1 → C1

Every French level, and what it actually means

61 levels and 424 grammar points, mapped onto the six-band scale the DELF and DALF exams are graded against. Not a marketing summary - the actual curriculum, unit by unit.

A1

Beginner

11 levels · 99 grammar points

Your first real sentences in French - present tense, gender, and the verbs everything else is built on.

≈500 words DELF A1

A2

Elementary

14 levels · 96 grammar points

The past tense arrives. You stop describing the present and start telling people what happened.

≈1,000 words DELF A2

B1

Intermediate

14 levels · 90 grammar points

The threshold. You can hold an opinion, tell a story that lasts more than one sentence, and be understood.

≈2,000 words DELF B1

B2

Advanced

12 levels · 77 grammar points

The subjunctive, argument and register. The level that opens French universities - and, since 2026, citizenship.

≈4,000 words DELF B2

C1

Proficient

10 levels · 62 grammar points

Implication, irony and style. Literature and the press at natural speed, without a dictionary open.

≈6,000+ words DALF C1

C2

Mastery

Outside the Gallus curriculum

The top of the scale. What C2 actually means, what the DALF C2 tests, and why almost nobody needs it.

≈10,000+ words DALF C2

The app

Gallus French teaches these levels by reading

The roadmap on this page is not a chart we drew for the article - it is the syllabus the app is built on. Gallus takes you from your first sentence to reading the press without a dictionary, one story at a time.

Stories, not drills

Every level is taught through illustrated stories written at that level - short at A1, full pages of natural prose by C1. You learn French the way you learned to read: by reading something you want to finish.

Tap any word

Translation, pronunciation and the grammar behind the form, on the word itself. No dictionary in another tab, no losing the thread of the sentence to look something up.

A real curriculum underneath

61 levels and 424 grammar points from A1 to C1, in the order they build on each other. The stories are ordered by that curriculum, so a form is always introduced before it is used again.

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Be told the day it lands

The app is in development. One e-mail, on launch day - that is the whole deal.

One e-mail, on launch day. No newsletter, no drip campaign.

The levels side by side

Level Vocabulary Study hours Exam
A1 - Beginner ≈500 words 60–100 guided hours DELF A1
A2 - Elementary ≈1,000 words 160–200 guided hours DELF A2
B1 - Intermediate ≈2,000 words 350–400 guided hours DELF B1
B2 - Advanced ≈4,000 words 550–650 guided hours DELF B2
C1 - Proficient ≈6,000+ words 800–950 guided hours DALF C1
C2 - Mastery ≈10,000+ words 1,000–1,200+ DALF C2

C2 is on the scale but outside the Gallus curriculum - the C2 page explains why.

Study hours are cumulative from zero and reflect the guided-hour ranges French language schools commonly publish. They are a classroom average, not a guarantee.

French levels - frequently asked questions

What are the French CEFR levels?
Six, in ascending order: A1 and A2 (basic user), B1 and B2 (independent user), C1 and C2 (proficient user). The DELF exams certify A1 to B2 and the DALF certifies C1 and C2. Gallus covers A1 through C1, which is the range that matters for study, work and residence in France.
Which French level do I need for a visa or for citizenship?
As of 1 January 2026: A2 for a first multi-year residence permit, B1 for the 10-year carte de résident, and B2 for naturalisation - the naturalisation bar moved up from B1, and a civics exam was added. Files completed before 31 December 2025 are assessed under the previous rules. These requirements have changed twice in recent years, so confirm the current one with the préfecture before booking an exam.
How long does it take to go from A1 to B2 in French?
The US Foreign Service Institute classifies French as a Category I language for English speakers and budgets 600–750 hours of study to reach professional working proficiency, roughly B2 to C1. At one focused hour a day that is about two years; at twenty minutes a day, considerably longer. French is among the fastest major languages for an English speaker, largely because so much of the vocabulary is already familiar.
Which French level should I start at?
If you have never studied French, A1, without exception - it holds the four verbs everything else is built on. If you studied it at school and stopped, you are usually somewhere between A2 and B1 passively and a level below that actively, so starting at A2 and moving fast is more productive than starting at B1 and having gaps.
Is CEFR the same as the DELF and DALF?
The CEFR is the scale; the DELF and DALF are French Ministry of Education exams built on it. One diploma per level, no overall pass mark across levels, and neither expires - unlike the TCF and TEF, which are tests with a validity period rather than diplomas.
What is the difference between B1 and B2 French?
B1 is coping: you follow clear speech on familiar subjects and can explain a point of view simply. B2 is operating: you follow technical discussion in your own field, argue a position and hold your own with native speakers without either side slowing down. Grammatically the frontier is the subjunctive, register, and the ability to build a paragraph that concedes a point before countering it.

Read your way up this scale

61 levels, 424 grammar points, A1 to C1 - taught through stories.

One e-mail, on launch day. No newsletter, no drip campaign.