DELE A1 phrases for writing and speaking
The CSV has the Spanish, the English, the function and the task of each phrase. Anki imports it as it is, with the Spanish and English as the first two fields and the task as tags. For Quizlet, open the file in a spreadsheet and paste the Spanish and English columns into Import.
Writing task 1 Form
- Format
- Fill in a form with short answers about yourself.
- What it tests
- Basic personal details in writing, in words, phrases and simple sentences about yourself and your immediate surroundings.
Reading the fields of a form
- Nombre First name
- Apellidos Surname(s)
- Fecha de nacimiento Date of birth
- Lugar de nacimiento Place of birth
- Nacionalidad Nationality
- Dirección Address
- Calle, número y piso Street, number and floor
- Código postal Postcode
- Correo electrónico Email address
- Profesión Occupation
- Estado civil Marital status
- Forma de pago Method of payment
- En efectivo / Con tarjeta In cash / By card
- Firma Signature
Dirección: calle del Carmen, 8, 2.º B, 46003 Valencia.
Address: 8 Calle del Carmen, second floor, flat B, 46003 Valencia.
Answering the open questions on a form
- Quiero aprender... I want to learn...
- Para hablar con... To talk to...
- Los lunes por la tarde. On Monday afternoons.
- Soltero / Soltera Single (man / woman)
- Casado / Casada Married (man / woman)
Quiero aprender a nadar para ir a la piscina con mis hijos.
I want to learn to swim so I can go to the pool with my children.
Writing task 2 Short message
- Format
- Write a postcard, email, message or advert of 30 to 40 words that covers the points you are given.
- What it tests
- Courtesy messages and simple personal information, in reply to a text such as a postcard, an email, an advert or a notice.
Saying where you are and what it is like
- Estoy en... con... I'm in... with...
- Estamos en un hotel / un camping. We're staying in a hotel / at a campsite.
- Hace sol / calor / frío. It's sunny / hot / cold.
- Es una ciudad muy bonita. It's a very pretty city.
- Hay mucha gente. There are a lot of people.
Estoy en Santander con mis padres. Hace sol y la ciudad es muy bonita.
I'm in Santander with my parents. It's sunny and the city is very pretty.
Saying what you do
- Todos los días... Every day...
- Por la mañana... y por la tarde... In the morning... and in the afternoon...
- Los sábados... On Saturdays...
- Visitamos museos y comemos pescado. We visit museums and eat fish.
Por la mañana estudio en la academia y por la tarde paseo por el puerto.
In the morning I study at the language school and in the afternoon I walk round the harbour.
Describing yourself or another person
- Soy alto / alta y... I'm tall and...
- Tengo el pelo corto / largo. I have short / long hair.
- Tengo los ojos verdes. I have green eyes.
- Llevo gafas. I wear glasses.
- Es muy simpático / simpática. He / She is very friendly.
Soy alta, tengo el pelo corto y llevo gafas.
I'm tall, I have short hair and I wear glasses.
Writing a short advert or notice
- Vendo... For sale: ... (literally 'I sell')
- Busco... I'm looking for...
- Está en muy buen estado. It's in very good condition.
- Es muy barato / barata. It's very cheap.
- Mi teléfono es el... My phone number is...
Vendo una mesa de madera y cuatro sillas. Están en muy buen estado.
For sale: a wooden table and four chairs. They are in very good condition.
Inviting and asking a friend something
- ¿Quieres venir a...? Do you want to come to...?
- ¿Vienes el sábado? Are you coming on Saturday?
- ¿Cuándo llegas? When do you arrive?
El domingo hay un concierto en la playa. ¿Quieres venir con nosotros?
There's a concert on the beach on Sunday. Do you want to come with us?
Speaking task 1 Introduce yourself
- Format
- Give a short personal presentation from the prompt card, for 1 to 2 minutes.
- What it tests
- Introducing yourself with your basic personal details, such as your name, age and nationality.
Giving your name and age
- Me llamo... My name is...
- Mi apellido es... My surname is...
- Tengo... años. I'm... years old.
Me llamo Tomás, mi apellido es Ferreira y tengo cuarenta años.
My name is Tomás, my surname is Ferreira and I'm forty years old.
Saying where you are from and where you live
- Soy de... I'm from...
- Soy brasileño / brasileña. I'm Brazilian.
- Ahora vivo en... Now I live in...
- Vivo con mi mujer / mi marido. I live with my wife / my husband.
Soy de Oporto, pero ahora vivo en Vigo con mi mujer.
I'm from Porto, but now I live in Vigo with my wife.
Talking about your work or studies
- Trabajo en... I work in / at...
- Soy profesor / profesora. I'm a teacher.
- Estudio... en... I study... at...
- Ahora no trabajo. I'm not working at the moment.
Trabajo en un restaurante y por la noche estudio inglés.
I work in a restaurant and in the evening I study English.
Talking about languages and likes
- Hablo... I speak...
- Hablo un poco de español. I speak a little Spanish.
- Me gusta mucho... I really like... (one thing or an activity)
- Me gustan los animales. I like animals. (gustan with plural things)
- No me gusta... I don't like...
Hablo portugués y un poco de español, y me gusta mucho cocinar.
I speak Portuguese and a little Spanish, and I really like cooking.
Speaking task 2 Talk about a topic
- Format
- Talk about a topic for 2 to 3 minutes, choosing three of five suggested points.
- What it tests
- Very basic information about yourself and your surroundings in short, simple sentences: daily life, people you know, things you own, places and your studies.
Describing your home or your neighbourhood
- Mi barrio es... My neighbourhood is...
- Está cerca de / lejos de... It's near / far from...
- Hay un parque y dos supermercados. There's a park and two supermarkets.
- Mi piso tiene... habitaciones. My flat has... bedrooms.
Mi piso está cerca del centro y tiene dos habitaciones y una cocina grande.
My flat is near the centre and it has two bedrooms and a big kitchen.
Talking about your family and friends
- Tengo... hermanos. I have... brothers and sisters.
- Mi hermana se llama... My sister is called...
- Mi mejor amigo es... My best friend is...
- Estoy casado / casada. I'm married.
Mi hermana se llama Rosa y vive en Lisboa con sus dos hijos.
My sister is called Rosa and she lives in Lisbon with her two children.
Describing your day
- Me levanto a las... I get up at...
- Voy al trabajo en autobús / a pie. I go to work by bus / on foot.
- Como en casa. I have lunch at home.
- Los fines de semana... At the weekend...
Los fines de semana me levanto tarde y voy al mercado a pie.
At the weekend I get up late and walk to the market.
Saying what you like most and least
- Lo que más me gusta es... What I like most is...
- Mi... favorito / favorita es... My favourite... is...
- Prefiero... I prefer...
- No me gusta nada... I don't like... at all.
Mi habitación favorita es la cocina, porque es grande y tiene mucha luz.
My favourite room is the kitchen, because it's big and has a lot of light.
Speaking task 3 Conversation
- Format
- Talk with the examiner about your topic for 3 to 4 minutes and ask two questions of your own.
- What it tests
- A short conversation with a cooperative partner about what you said in the earlier tasks, in which you also ask the examiner questions.
Answering the examiner
- Sí, mucho. Yes, a lot.
- No, no mucho. No, not much.
- Más o menos. More or less.
- Normalmente... Usually...
Sí, mucho. Mi barrio es tranquilo y la gente es muy amable.
Yes, a lot. My neighbourhood is quiet and the people are very kind.
Asking the examiner questions
- ¿Usted dónde vive? Where do you live?
- ¿Le gusta...? Do you like...?
- ¿Tiene hijos? Do you have children?
- ¿Qué hace los fines de semana? What do you do at the weekend?
¿Y usted? ¿Le gusta vivir en el centro?
And you? Do you like living in the centre?
Asking for help when you don't understand
- Perdón, ¿puede repetir? Sorry, could you say that again?
- No entiendo. I don't understand.
- ¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor? Could you speak more slowly, please?
- ¿Cómo se dice... en español? How do you say... in Spanish?
Perdón, no entiendo la pregunta. ¿Puede repetir, por favor?
Sorry, I don't understand the question. Could you say it again, please?
Letters, emails and messages
In the A1 guide, the raters call Buenos días and Muchas gracias simple courtesy formulas that are not quite right for a letter.
Opening a message
- Hola, Marta: Hi Marta, (Spanish puts a colon after the greeting) Writing task 2
- Querida Marta: Dear Marta, (to a woman) Writing task 2
- Querido Pablo: Dear Pablo, (to a man) Writing task 2
- Queridos amigos: Dear friends, Writing task 2
- ¿Qué tal estás? How are you? Writing task 2
Hola, Pablo: ¿Qué tal estás? Yo estoy muy bien en Granada.
Hi Pablo, how are you? I'm very well here in Granada. Writing task 2
Closing a message
- Un beso, Love, (to friends and family; literally 'a kiss') Writing task 2
- Un abrazo, All the best, (literally 'a hug') Writing task 2
- Un saludo, Regards, Writing task 2
- Hasta pronto. See you soon. Writing task 2
- Hasta el sábado. See you on Saturday. Writing task 2
Bueno, hasta el sábado. Un abrazo, Tomás.
Well, see you on Saturday. All the best, Tomás. Writing task 2
Tú or usted
- Gracias por tu mensaje. Thanks for your message. (tú, to a friend) Writing task 2
- Gracias por su mensaje. Thank you for your message. (usted, to someone you don't know) Writing task 2
- ¿Y tú? And you? (tú) Writing task 2
- ¿Y usted? And you? (usted, to the examiner) Speaking task 3
- ¿Tiene usted...? Do you have...? (usted) Speaking task 3
Gracias por su mensaje. Quiero información sobre las clases de los sábados.
Thank you for your message. I'd like information about the Saturday classes. Writing task 2
Connectors
Conectores
The A1 speaking scale describes band 2 speech as joined at its simplest, with y and también, and band 3 speech as linked with porque, pero and adverbs.
Adding
- y and Writing task 2, speaking tasks 1 and 2
- también also, too Speaking tasks 1 and 2
Hablo inglés y francés, y también un poco de alemán.
I speak English and French, and also a little German. Speaking task 1
Contrasting
- pero but Writing task 2, speaking task 2
Mi piso es pequeño, pero tiene mucha luz.
My flat is small, but it gets a lot of light. Speaking task 2
Giving a reason
- porque because Speaking tasks 2 and 3
Estudio español porque mi pareja es de Madrid.
I'm learning Spanish because my partner is from Madrid. Speaking task 3
Putting events in order
- primero first Writing task 2, speaking task 2
- después then, afterwards Writing task 2, speaking task 2
- por la mañana / por la tarde / por la noche in the morning / in the afternoon / at night Writing task 2, speaking task 2
Primero desayunamos en el hotel y después vamos a la playa.
First we have breakfast at the hotel and then we go to the beach. Writing task 2
Giving a choice
- o or Writing task 2, speaking task 3
¿Vienes el sábado o el domingo?
Are you coming on Saturday or on Sunday? Writing task 2
Sources
The tasks and what they test come from the Instituto Cervantes documents below. The Spanish phrases and sentences are Apto DELE's own.
- Guía del examen DELE A1 (2020 version), Instituto Cervantes
- Especificaciones DELE A1 (2020), Instituto Cervantes
Latest version of this page: aptodele.com/dele-a1/phrases/