April Fools' joke
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April Fools' joke
A joke or prank that is traditionally played on someone on April 1. The person who falls for it is often told with the exclamation 'April, April!'
Ich habe meinem Kollegen erzählt, die Kantine sei heute geschlossen – es war nur ein Aprilscherz.
I told my colleague that the cafeteria was closed today—it was only an April Fools' joke.
The word is made up of the month 'April' and 'der Scherz' (joke, prank). The 's' in between is a linking s, which connects the two words and indicates possession, so literally a 'Scherz des Aprils' (joke of April).
Mein bester Aprilscherz war, als ich meinen Eltern erzählte, ich hätte im Lotto gewonnen.
My best April Fools' joke was when I told my parents I had won the lottery.
Common verbs used with 'Aprilscherz' (April Fools' joke) are 'sich einen Aprilscherz erlauben' (to play an April Fools' joke) or 'jemandem einen Streich spielen' (to play a prank on someone). If you believe the joke, you 'fällt man darauf herein' (fall for it).
Pass auf, dass du heute nicht auf einen Aprilscherz hereinfällst!
Be careful not to fall for an April Fools' joke today!
When someone has fallen for an 'Aprilscherz' (April Fools' joke), the joke is often revealed with the exclamation 'April, April!' This exclamation is a fixed part of the tradition on April 1.
Er glaubte mir, dass die Schule ausfällt, bis ich laut „April, April!“ rief.
He believed me that school was canceled until I loudly shouted 'April, April!'
A very common expression is 'jemanden in den April schicken' (to send someone into April). It means to successfully trick someone with a joke on April 1.
Ich habe meine Schwester in den April geschickt, indem ich ihr eine falsche SMS schrieb.
I played an April Fools' joke on my sister by sending her a fake text message.
fun / joke
'der Spaß' and 'der Aprilscherz' can both mean a joke that is not meant seriously. Here, 'Spaß' is much more general: a 'Spaß' can be a joke, a remark, or a small prank at any time. 'Aprilscherz' is more specific. It means a joke or prank on April 1. Learners may confuse the words because an April Fools' joke is a kind of 'Spaß'. But not every 'Spaß' is an 'Aprilscherz'. If the date is important, especially April 1, 'Aprilscherz' is more precise.
Luisa hat am 1. April einen Aprilscherz gemacht und ihre Freunde hereingelegt.
On April 1, Luisa played an April Fools' joke and tricked her friends.
Nach dem Essen sagte Tom, dass seine Bemerkung nur Spaß war.
After the meal, Tom said that his remark was only a joke.