01
der April
April
The fourth month of the calendar year.
example
Mein Geburtstag ist im April.
My birthday is in April.
der April
April
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Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
Correct preposition
When talking about events that take place in this month, you use the preposition 'im' (in dem). This applies to all month names.
EXAMPLE
Im April fängt der Frühling richtig an.
In April, spring really begins.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'jemanden in den April schicken' means to play a joke on someone on April 1. The person being tricked is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe meine Kollegen mit einer falschen E-Mail in den April geschickt.
I played an April Fools' joke on my colleagues with a fake email.
Cultural context
In Germany, April is known for its changeable weather. A well-known saying about this is: 'April, April, der macht, was er will.' (April, April, it does what it wants.)
EXAMPLE
Erst schien die Sonne, jetzt hagelt es – typisch April!
First the sun was shining, now it's hailing—typical April!
Compare with
April vs Streich
prank / stroke
'der April' and 'der Streich' are similar only in one specific context: on April 1. In the expression 'jemanden in den April schicken' (to play an April Fools' joke on someone), 'April' means that you play a prank on someone or tell them a false story. 'der Streich' is the general word for this kind of funny or annoying action. 'April' on its own is normally just the month. If you are talking about the action, 'Streich' is more precise; if you mean the fixed expression, you use 'in den April schicken'.
April
Am ersten April hat mich mein Bruder mit einer falschen Nachricht in den April geschickt.
On April first, my brother played an April Fools' joke on me with a fake message.
Streich
Der Streich war harmlos, aber alle mussten darüber lachen.
The prank was harmless, but everyone had to laugh about it.
In real life
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