Does “top” mean “great” in German?
Top oder Flop: Aufgaben beim Easy-German-Podcast
B1 German listening practice · Standard German · Curated for intermediate learners
In this behind-the-scenes “Top oder Flop” round at the Easy German podcast, the team rates their own tasks, and the verdict on recording is quick: «Top oder flop? Top.» German has borrowed the English top as an everyday word for “great, excellent, first-rate.” “Das ist top!” means “that’s brilliant,” and a “Top-Angebot” is a great deal.
Its opposite, der Flop, means a flop or failure, also straight from English. Pairs like “top oder Flop” show off Germany’s love of English loanwords, the playful side of what Germans call Denglisch. Don’t confuse colloquial top with the formal “spitze” or “klasse,” which mean the same thing.
Vocabulary frequency
How common is the vocabulary in this B1 German listening practice listening practice?
General German frequency
Spoken German frequency
Words above this video’s level
Quick glosses for vocabulary that goes beyond this video’s B1 level.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-DE 2011 (spoken). Buckets approximate; exact ranks not stored.
- ▸The Easy German podcast and YouTube channel, which this clip is from.
- ▸German rating and reaction shows where everything is “top oder Flop”.
- ▸In German online reviews and shop listings (“Top-Zustand”, “Top-Preis”).
- ▸Everyday German texting, alongside “mega” and “krass”.