The CEFR Levels Explained: From Beginner to Fluent

Have you ever tried learning a new language and wondered, “How good am I really?” Maybe you can say a few words, have a quick chat, or watch a video and catch a few phrases — but it’s hard to know what that means in the bigger picture. That’s where the CEFR comes in.

CEFR stands for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It’s basically a map that shows you where you are and what’s ahead on your language journey. It helps teachers, schools, and learners all over the world talk about language levels in the same way — from total beginner (A1) to fluent and confident user (C2).

You can think of it like a video game with six levels. Each level unlocks new abilities: at first, you can greet people and say a few words; later, you can tell stories, argue your opinions, and even dream in the language.

The CEFR isn’t just for exams or grades — it’s a way to measure real-world communication skills. It helps you see what you can do right now and what you’ll be able to do next. And the best part? You can use it to track your own progress anytime, with no need for a teacher.

So, let’s go level by level and see what you can achieve at each stage of your journey.

A1 — The Explorer: “I can say simple things.”

You’re just starting out. You can introduce yourself and talk about your origins, using words you learned in class or apps.

You can easily:

• Say hello and goodbye

• Order food or ask for prices

• Understand when someone speaks very slowly and clearly

  
  

Example:

“Hello! My name is Maya. I’m from India. I like pizza.”

At this stage, you mostly speak in the present tense. You might use time words like yesterday or tomorrow, but often you don’t change the verb.

“Yesterday I go to the park.” (You’re understood, even if it’s not correct.)

A2 — The Survivor: “I can handle simple, everyday situations.”

You now understand more than you can say, but you’re starting to speak with confidence.

You can handle short conversations about familiar topics — travel, school, family, or hobbies.

You start using past and future forms, though with some mistakes. You still rely on basic patterns and common verbs (was, went, had, will go, will see).

You can easily:

• Ask for and give directions

• Talk about your day or weekend

• Handle simple travel problems

• Describe short, simple events in the past and plans for the future.

  
  

Examples:

“Yesterday I went to the beach with my friends. It was sunny and fun. We ate ice cream.”

“Yesterday I went to the park.”“Tomorrow I will meet my friend.”

B1 — The Adventurer: “I can live my life in this language.”

You can survive and even enjoy daily life in a country where the language is spoken. You can explain your thoughts, describe experiences, and express opinions — though you still make mistakes. This is the first level where your language feels alive — you can share your experiences, not just describe things.

You can easily:

• Have conversations about everyday topics

• Understand main points in movies, songs, or news

• Write short texts or messages explaining your opinion

• Connect ideas in time (before, after, when, while) and explain what happened or what will happen next.

  
  

Examples:

“I think learning languages helps you understand other people’s lives. Sometimes it’s hard, but I enjoy it.”

“When I was a child, I used to play football every afternoon.”“Next year I’m going to study abroad.”

B2 — The Explorer Plus: “I can communicate naturally with native speakers.”

At this level, you’re independent. You can discuss almost any topic you care about, and people don’t need to slow down for you much. Your grammar isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t stop you from being understood. You also begin to sound more natural when connecting stories and opinions.

You can easily:

• Study or work in the language

• Follow TV shows, podcasts, or YouTube videos without subtitles (most of the time)

• Express opinions and explain reasons naturally

• Speak about the past and future with detail and emotion.

• Handle tricky tenses like past perfect (“I had finished before they arrived”) or talk about imagined futures (“If I study hard, I’ll pass”).

  
  

Examples:

“I watched a documentary about climate change yesterday. It was fascinating — I learned how small daily habits can make a big difference.”

“If I hadn’t moved abroad, I would have never learned Spanish.”

C1 — The Storyteller: “I can express myself clearly and naturally.”

You understand most things — even jokes, slang, or abstract ideas. You can speak smoothly and explain complicated thoughts. You’re not just surviving anymore; you’re expressing your personality through the language.

You can easily:

• Join debates or deep conversations

• Write essays, reports, or creative stories

• Follow fast speech, movies, or academic lectures

• Shift between past, present, and future effortlessly — even using idioms, storytelling tones, and irony.

• Describe memories, regrets, dreams, and hypothetical situations with nuance.

  
  

Example:

“Learning another language doesn’t just change how you speak — it changes how you think about the world.”

“I’d been hoping to travel for years before I finally went.”“If I could live anywhere, I’d choose Lisbon.”

At this stage, grammar becomes a tool for expression, not a rulebook.

C2 — The Master: “I can almost use the language like a native.”

You understand almost everything you read or hear. You can adapt your tone for different situations — formal or casual — and even understand humor, irony, and cultural references. You sound fluent, natural, and confident.

You can easily:

• Read novels or newspapers and understand the deeper meaning

• Speak or write on complex topics effortlessly

• Switch between formal and informal speech naturally

  
  

Example:

“Fluency isn’t about knowing every word; it’s about feeling at home in the language.”

Final Thoughts

The CEFR isn’t about tests or grades. It’s about understanding your progress — how much of the world you can now experience through another language.

Many learners think they need an official CEFR certificate to “prove” their level, but that’s not always true. Taking a CEFR exam (like DELF, TELC, or Goethe) can be expensive and stressful — and it doesn’t always reflect what really matters: how confidently you use the language in daily life.

You only truly need an official test if you’re applying for a job, university, or visa that specifically asks for one. Otherwise, your real progress shows in your experiences — when you laugh at jokes in another language, understand song lyrics, or have a long chat with someone without switching back to your mother tongue.

In a sense, it won’t exactly reflect your true level anyway. For the simple reason that you will study and prepare for the test. What you want to know is where you are now, at this very moment, without preparation. For this reason, I prefer to look at the grid prepared by the Council of Europe (available in over 30 languages) and use my gut feeling to know where I really stand with my language skills. You can access it here.

Review it periodically if you want, but don’t stress over it.

In short, language learning is a living skill, not a score. So instead of chasing a certificate, focus on moments that prove you’re growing: your first conversation, your first movie without subtitles, your first time thinking in the new language. These are the real milestones on your CEFR journey.

Your level doesn’t really matter, as long as you reach the point where you can do what you wanted to do in the first place in this new language. 

Unpopular opinion: You don’t need to reach the same level of proficiency in the four aspects of language (speaking, listening, reading and writing). Focus on what you actually want to use the language for — let everything else sit on the sidelines.

Spoiler alert: writing is more often than not the aspect of language you can neglect without real consequences. 

If you have other ways of knowing where you stand on your progress let us know in the comment section below!

👉 Got more questions? Head over to our Q&A Section—chances are we’ve already answered it (and if not, we will!).

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