This is the vocabulary list I use with my own students preparing the DELF B1. It is organised the way the exam is: by theme, because that is how the examiner picks a subject, and not alphabetically, because nobody revises in alphabetical order.
B1 is the level where vocabulary becomes opinion: you are no longer naming things, you are taking a position on them. Expect abstract nouns and the verbs that introduce an argument.
Start with the map of themes below to see the shape of the level, then work through the words theme by theme. At B1 you are expected to argue a point, report what someone said and discuss an article, and the themes follow from that.
The 21 DELF B1 vocabulary themes
Every theme the B1 exam draws on, with how many words each one carries in my complete B1 deck. Use it as a revision map: tick off the themes you can already talk about for two minutes, and you have your list of what is left.
| Theme | In English | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Les relations familiales et l'amour | Family relationships and love | 43 |
| Les relations amicales | Friendship | 18 |
| Le vivre-ensemble | Living together in society | 30 |
| Les spectacles et la musique | Live shows and music | 31 |
| Les arts, le théâtre, le cinéma | The arts, theatre and cinema | 34 |
| La langue et la francophonie | The French language and the francophone world | 10 |
| L'alimentation | Food and diet | 19 |
| La ville et la vie de quartier | The town and neighbourhood life | 14 |
| Vivre en ville | Living in a city | 19 |
| Le voyage: préparation et expérience | Travel: planning and experience | 14 |
| Le voyage: transport et tourisme | Travel: transport and tourism | 22 |
| Les Ă©tudes | Studying | 19 |
| L'apprentissage | Learning | 18 |
| La consommation et l'Ă©conomie | Consumption and the economy | 19 |
| La consommation et l'environnement | Consumption and the environment | 19 |
| Le marché du travail | The job market | 20 |
| La vie professionnelle et la santé | Working life and health | 25 |
| L'activité physique et le sport | Physical activity and sport | 22 |
| Le jeu et l'innovation technique | Games and technical innovation | 28 |
| La réalisation personnelle | Personal fulfilment | 27 |
| L'inclusion et la citoyenneté | Inclusion and citizenship | 41 |
What B1 vocabulary actually looks like
A couple of words from ten of the themes above, so you can see the register the level works at. Each noun carries its article, because the gender is part of the word and the examiner hears it.
| Theme | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| Les relations familiales et l'amour | l'adolescence | adolescence |
| Les relations familiales et l'amour | les anciens / les aînés | the elderly / older generation |
| Le vivre-ensemble | la politesse | politeness |
| Le vivre-ensemble | les bonnes manières | good manners |
| L'alimentation | les fèves | broad beans |
| L'alimentation | les haricots | beans |
| Vivre en ville | l'agglomération | urban area / conurbation |
| Vivre en ville | l'aménagement | urban planning / development |
| Le voyage: transport et tourisme | la carte routière | road map |
| Le voyage: transport et tourisme | pédaler | to cycle / pedal |
| Les Ă©tudes | le candidat / la candidate | candidate / applicant |
| Les Ă©tudes | le doctorant / la doctorante | PhD student / doctoral student |
| Le marché du travail | l'intérim | temporary / agency work |
| Le marché du travail | la carrière | career |
| La consommation et l'environnement | l'alimentation (secteur) | food industry / sector |
| La consommation et l'environnement | l'automobile | car industry / automobiles |
| L'activité physique et le sport | anti-stress | stress reliever / anti-stress |
| L'activité physique et le sport | l'athlète | athlete |
| L'inclusion et la citoyenneté | la différence | difference |
| L'inclusion et la citoyenneté | la discrimination | discrimination |
How to actually learn a B1 vocabulary list
Reading a list does nothing. What works is recall: cover the French column, read the English, say the word out loud with its article, then check. The words you get wrong come back sooner than the words you get right, which is the whole principle behind the flashcard decks.
Do not try to learn a theme in one sitting. Ten words a day, said out loud, beats a hundred words read in silence on a Sunday. And write them in sentences: a word you have never produced is a word you will not find under exam pressure.
If you want the exam format itself rather than the words, the DELF B1 checklist covers the grammar, the tenses and the four papers.