Does “top” mean “great” in German?
Top oder Flop: Aufgaben beim Easy-German-Podcast
B1 German listening practice · Standard German · Picked for people who know some
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.
How common are the words?
How common are the words in this B1 German listening practice video?
How common in written German
How common in spoken German
Harder words in this video
These words are harder than B1. Here is what they mean.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-DE 2011 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸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”.