French Phrase
Le défilé, c'était le top.
Meaning
The speaker is saying that the fashion show or parade was outstanding – literally, “the show, it was the top.” The expression le top is colloquial and conveys strong enthusiasm.
When to use
Use this sentence right after you’ve watched a fashion show, a parade, or any event you found spectacular. It’s informal, so it fits casual conversation with friends or on social media.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ledéfilé,c'étaitletop.
Definite article (Le)
Le is the masculine singular definite article used before a masculine noun like défilé.
Noun (défilé)
Défilé means a parade or fashion show; it is masculine, so it takes le.
Contraction (c')
c' is the contraction of the demonstrative pronoun ce and the verb être; it is used before a vowel.
Imparfait (était)
était is the third‑person singular imperfect of être, used to describe a past state.
Borrowed slang (le top)
Le top is informal slang borrowed from English “the top”, meaning “the best” or “awesome”.
🗨In Conversation
Le défilé, c'était le top.
The show was awesome.
Oui, j'ai adoré les créations et l'ambiance.
Yes, I loved the designs and the vibe.
✕Common Mistakes
Le défilé, c'est le top.
c'est is present tense; the event is in the past, so you need the imperfect c'était.
Le défilé, c'était le top, très formel.
Avoid using le top in formal contexts; replace with excellent, génial, etc.
La défilé, c'était le top.
Make sure the article matches gender; défilé is masculine, so use le, not la.
↔Alternatives
Le défilé était génial.
The fashion show was great.
Le défilé était incroyable.
The fashion show was incredible.
Le défilé était le meilleur.
The fashion show was the best.
Cultural Tip
Le top is a piece of contemporary French slang that comes from English. It’s popular among younger speakers and in media, but you wouldn’t use it in formal writing or with people you don’t know well. In a formal review you’d say “le défilé était excellent”.