‘Apelila
The Hawaiian word for April is ‘Apelila.
‘Apelila is the name used for the fourth month of the Gregorian calendar.
Meaning: fourth month of the Gregorian calendar (name)
Which one should you use?
Mahina 'Apelila serves as an alternative formal way to refer to the month.
Did you know?
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, months were not named after Gregorian months like ‘Apelila but were instead part of a lunar calendar tracking moon phases.
- Hawaiian names for months like ‘Apelila are loanwords adapted to fit the strict phonetic rules of the language, which requires every syllable to end in a vowel.
- The term mahina in Mahina 'Apelila means both 'moon' and 'month', reflecting the lunar origins of timekeeping.
Example conversation
Keanu and Noelani are discussing their vacation plans.
- KeanuI ke kāhea e hele ai kāua?When are we going?
- NoelaniE hele kāua i ka ‘Apelila.Let's go in April.
- KeanuMaikaʻi kēlā lā.That is a good time.
- NoelaniʻAe, he wā maikaʻi kēlā.Yes, that is a good time.
