Spanish A2: a Grammar and Vocabulary Checklist [2026]

What is level A2 in Spanish?

Level A2 is the second step on the CEFR scale. If A1 is "survival", then A2 means simple, routine exchanges on familiar everyday matters — you can already handle more than bare survival.

In practice, level A2 means that you are able to:

• Order food in a restaurant and clarify the details
• Talk about how you spent the weekend
• Buy a transport ticket and ask for directions
• Describe your symptoms to a doctor
• Hold a simple conversation about work, hobbies and family

The grammar checklist: 12 topics for level A2

Grammar is the skeleton of a language. At A2 you should feel confident with these topics:

1. Pretérito Indefinido

A key past tense at A2 — how recent events are split between the Indefinido and the Perfecto varies by region. Regular (-é, -aste, -ó) and irregular (fui, tuve, hice) forms.

2. Pretérito Perfecto

"He comido", "hemos viajado" — actions connected to the present.

3. Pretérito Imperfecto

"Cuando era niño, vivía en Madrid" — descriptions and habits in the past.

4. Futuro with ir a + infinitive

"Voy a estudiar" — the simplest way to talk about the future.

5. Ser and Estar

A useful rule of thumb: ser for characteristics and origin, estar for states and location — Spanish has exceptions, and you will refine the distinction as you progress.

6. Imperativo

"¡Come!", "¡No hables!" — commands and advice. At A2, start with the tú and usted forms — in Spain you will also hear vosotros everywhere in informal speech.

7. Reflexive verbs

Levantarse, ducharse, acostarse — the whole daily routine.

8. Object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, le)

"¿La leche? La compré ayer" — replacing a noun with a pronoun.

9. Comparative constructions

Más... que, menos... que, tan... como.

10. Por and Para

A useful starting contrast: purpose vs cause — por and para have many other uses you will meet as you go.

11. The gerund (estar + gerundio)

"Estoy estudiando" — an action happening right now.

12. Basic connectors

Porque, pero, aunque, por eso, además — the linking words that hold speech together.

Work through the topics in this order and practise the key conjugations regularly — short, frequent sessions work better than trying to memorise every form in one go.

The vocabulary checklist: 10 topics for A2

A common estimate for A2 vocabulary is roughly 1000–1500 words — the figure varies by learner, and there is no fixed official requirement:

Topic	Examples
Food and restaurants	pedir, cuenta, plato del día, propina
Transport	billete, ida y vuelta, andén, retraso
Health	me duele, fiebre, receta, pastilla
Work	jefe, reunión, sueldo, contrato
Home and household	alquiler, mudarse, vecino, ascensor
Shopping	talla, probador, rebaja, efectivo
Weather	nublado, tormenta, hace viento
The city	cruce, semáforo, girar, todo recto
Free time	quedar con amigos, pasarlo bien
Feelings	estar harto, orgulloso, amable

Test yourself on every topic: cover the examples column and recall the words from memory.

The skills checklist: what you CAN do at A2

• Talk about the past: how your holiday went, what happened yesterday
• Describe plans: what you are going to do tomorrow
• Order in a restaurant and ask about the ingredients
• Buy things in a shop: ask for the price and the size
• Explain yourself at the doctor's: describe symptoms
• Find your way around the city: ask for directions
• Write a message or an email
• Understand the main idea of a simple text
• Compare: "this hotel is better"
• Give advice: "try this dish"

Comfortable with most of these skills? You are well on your way through A2 — a checklist, however, is not an official certificate. The free level test below gives an initial estimate; for a fuller placement, you can also ask a teacher. And if you want more structure and support, have a look at our intensive courses.

How much time do you need for A2?

A rough planning benchmark is 180–200 hours (A1 included) — there is no fixed official requirement, and real programmes vary widely. The scenarios below are illustrative, not a schedule:

• 1 hour a day — 6–7 months
• 30 minutes a day — about a year
• An intensive pace (3–4 hours a day) — 2–3 months

Ten minutes of verb practice a day between lessons adds up to real results.

How do you check your level?

• Free level test
• Self-check against the checklist above
• The official DELE A2 exam

What comes after A2?

A2 is an excellent base for travelling. The next goal is B1: expressing opinions and hypotheses, and understanding connected texts on familiar topics. Consolidate what you already have — grammar, vocabulary, practice. If any A1 topic still feels shaky, go back to our A1 checklist. ¡Mucho ánimo!

One grammar deep-dive to prioritise: the irregular "yo-go" verbs (tengo, hago, pongo) — a useful A2 topic rather than an official requirement.