das
Top
👚 What does "das Top" mean?
The word "das Top" is an Anglicism (a loanword from English) and primarily has two meanings in German:
- Clothing item: A sleeveless or short-sleeved upper garment, usually for women or girls. It's similar to a T-Shirt but often has thinner straps or no sleeves. Example: Sie trägt im Sommer gerne ein luftiges Top. (She likes to wear a light top in summer.)
- Summit / Peak / Best part: It can also be used figuratively to describe something as the best, the top, or a highlight (often in compound words or as an adjective). Example of a compound: Das ist ein Topangebot! (That's a top offer!) Example as an adjective: Der Film war top! (The movie was great/top!) Important: When "Top" is used as a noun meaning "summit" or "best part," it is also neuter (das Top), e.g., Das Top-Management entscheidet. (The top management decides.)
⚠️ Since it's a loanword, it retains the English plural ending in "-s".
Article rules for der, die, and das
Many foreign words → mostly neutral.
There are many foreign words, we won't list them all.
🧐 Grammar of "das Top"
"Das Top" is a neuter noun. It is declined as follows:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das | Top |
| Genitive | des | Tops |
| Dative | dem | Top |
| Accusative | das | Top |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Tops |
| Genitive | der | Tops |
| Dative | den | Tops |
| Accusative | die | Tops |
📝 Example Sentences
- Ich habe mir ein neues Top für den Urlaub gekauft.
(I bought myself a new top for the vacation.) - Die Sängerin trug ein glitzerndes Top auf der Bühne.
(The singer wore a sparkling top on stage.) - Das Meeting mit dem Top-Management war erfolgreich.
(The meeting with the top management was successful.) - Diese Band gehört zu den Tops der deutschen Musikszene.
(This band is among the top acts of the German music scene.)
💡 Usage Notes for das Top
"Das Top" is very frequently used in the context of fashion and clothing (Mode und Kleidung). It's an everyday word for a specific type of upper garment.
In its figurative sense as "summit" or "the best," it often appears in advertising language (Werbesprache), informal conversations (informelle Gespräche), or business contexts (wirtschaftlicher Kontext) (e.g., Top-Angebot (top offer), Top-Leistung (top performance), Top-Manager). Here, "Top" often functions as a prefix or is used adjectivally ("Der Service war top." - "The service was great/top.").
Although it's an English loanword, "das Top" is well-established in German and generally understood. It sounds more neutral than, for example, "Spitzenoberteil" (high-quality top) and is shorter than "ärmelloses Oberteil" (sleeveless top).
There's little risk of confusion, as the context (clothing vs. evaluation/hierarchy) is usually clear.
🧠 Mnemonics for "das Top"
- For the article (das): Imagine a small, neutral item of clothing – that little thing is das Top. Many small or generic things in German are neuter ("das"). Also, think of the English word "the" – maybe the "the" sound reminds you of "das".
- For the meaning: Think "on top" – the clothing item (das Top) is worn on the upper body (oben). Or it signifies being at the top (Spitze), the best.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Words):
- For clothing item: das Oberteil (upper part/top), das Shirt (more general), das Trägertop (tank top), das Spaghettiträger-Top (spaghetti strap top), die Bluse (blouse, can be similar)
- For summit/best: die Spitze (summit, peak), das Beste (the best), der Höhepunkt (highlight), der Gipfel (peak), die Elite (elite)
- As adjective: super, spitze (great), klasse (great), hervorragend (excellent), erstklassig (first-class)
Antonyms (Opposites):
- For clothing item: die Hose (trousers/pants), der Rock (skirt), das Unterteil (lower part/bottoms)
- For summit/best: der Flop (flop), der Reinfall (dud, failure), der Tiefpunkt (low point), der Durchschnitt (average), die Basis (base)
- As adjective: schlecht (bad), mies (lousy), furchtbar (terrible), ungenügend (insufficient), Flop (flop)
Similar, but different words:
- Der Topf: A cooking pot (masculine). Don't mix them up!
😂 A Little Joke
Warum tragen Skelette keine Tops?
Weil sie keinen Body dafür haben! 😉
(Why don't skeletons wear tops? Because they have no body for it! - A pun on "body" meaning torso and "nobody")
✍️ Little Poem
Die Sonne scheint, es ist sehr warm,
ich greife schnell in meinen Schrank, oh Charm!
Dort hängt das Top, so luftig, leicht,
damit der Sommertag mir weicht.
Ob bunt, ob schlicht, ob mit viel Glanz,
das Top gehört zum Sommertanz.
(The sun shines, it is very warm,
I quickly reach into my wardrobe, oh charm!
There hangs the top, so airy, light,
so that the summer day yields to me.
Whether colorful, simple, or with much shine,
the top belongs to the summer dance.)
🕵️♀️ Little Riddle
Ich kleide dich oben, bin oft ohne Arm,
halte dich luftig und manchmal auch warm (naja, weniger).
Man sagt auch, ich sei 'Spitze', das Allerbeste,
bin sächlich im Deutschen, zum sommerlichen Feste.
Was bin ich?
(I dress you up top, am often without arms,
keep you airy and sometimes warm (well, less so).
They also say I'm 'top', the very best,
I'm neuter in German, for the summer fest.
What am I?)
Lösung/Solution: das Top
ℹ️ Other Information
Word Origin: As mentioned, "das Top" is a direct loanword from English ("top"). In English, "top" also means upper garment, summit, lid, etc. Its adoption into German occurred primarily in the fashion domain and later in general colloquial language to mean "excellent."
Compound Words (Zusammensetzungen): "Top" is frequently used in compound words to express high quality or position: Topmodel (top model), Top-Priorität (top priority), Top-Ergebnis (top result), Top-Seller (top seller), Topfpflanze (potted plant - careful: this comes from "der Topf", the pot).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Top?
The word "Top", meaning a piece of clothing or figuratively "summit/best", uses the neuter article: das Top.