morkkis
/ˈmorkːis/
The moral hangover. Written moraalinen krapula The other hangover, and Finnish gives it its own word
moraalinen krapula on paper, morkkis out loud
One of the written-and-spoken pairs - every word on this site that exists in both forms is in that table, beside the change between them.
Quick answer
It is short for moraalinen krapula, a moral hangover, and nobody says the full phrase. What it names is the replay, not the headache.
- The physical one is krapula. Finnish keeps them apart because they do not arrive together.
- It is a state you have rather than one you are: mulla on morkkis, the same shape as mulla on nälkä.
What morkkis means
Morkkis is the replaying. What you said, who you called, whether that joke landed the way you thought it did at the time.
It is not the headache. Finnish has krapula for that, and the separation is useful: you can have one without the other, and the second usually outlasts the first.
How Finns actually use morkkis
As something you have: mulla on morkkis. The possessive construction, like any other state.
About drinking, but also without it - morkkis works for anything you regret saying, sober or otherwise.
As a verb-like description: morkkis iski, the morkkis hit.
morkkis the morning after
- Mulla on hirvee morkkis. I've got the worst guilt about last night. The morning after, as a complete account of how you are.
- Krapula meni, mut morkkis jäi. The hangover passed, but the guilt stayed. The two come apart, and this is the order they usually come apart in.
One word.
Every morning.
One real Finnish word every morning - what it means, what the book form is, and when Finns actually say it.
The verb morkkis takes, and when drink is not involved
- Morkkis iski heti aamulla. The cringe hit first thing. Iski, hit - the verb this noun attracts, as though it arrived from outside.
- Ei edes juotu, mut morkkis on. We weren't even drinking, and I've still got it. The use that surprises learners. Drink is a common cause, not part of the meaning.
morkkis at a glance
morkkis in a conversation
The mistake everyone makes with morkkis
Using it for the physical hangover. That is krapula, and the two are not interchangeable.
Expecting it to be about alcohol. The guilt is the meaning; the drinking is a common cause and not part of the definition.
Admitting to morkkis, and trying to shift it
- Mitä mä sanoin? Älä kerro, mulla on jo morkkis. What did I say? Don't tell me, I've already got the cringe. A message sent before anybody has filled in the gaps.
- Ei tätä morkkista saa pois millään. There's no shifting this one at all. The partitive, which is the case it takes when you are trying to be rid of it.
Questions people ask about morkkis
What does morkkis mean?
The guilt and cringe the day after - replaying what you said. It is separate from the physical hangover.
What is the difference between morkkis and krapula?
Krapula is the headache and nausea. Morkkis is the guilt. You can have either without the other.
Where does the word come from?
It is shortened from moraalinen krapula, moral hangover. Nobody says the full phrase.
Do you need to have been drinking?
No. Morkkis works for anything you regret having said, drink or no drink.
How do you say you have it?
Mulla on morkkis. Finnish treats it as a thing you have, like hunger or a cold.
Is morkkis correct Finnish?
Yes. Morkkis is the spoken form; moraalinen krapula is the written one. Both are standard Finnish - they belong to different registers, and neither is a degraded version of the other.
Is morkkis a bad word?
Safe. It is said about yourself, usually with resignation.
Words that go with morkkis
Sources for morkkis
- Kielitoimiston sanakirja: morkkis, krapula Kotimaisten kielten keskus - Both entries, and the register label marking morkkis as colloquial.
- Kotus dictionaries Kotimaisten kielten keskus - Where the clipped colloquial vocabulary this word belongs to is documented.
- VISK § 895 - Omistuslauseen piirteet: vaarilla on saari Iso suomen kielioppi, Kotimaisten kielten keskus - The possessive clause behind mulla on morkkis - Finnish treats a state as something you have.
- VISK § 261 - Laaja johdostyyppi ja sen alatyypit Iso suomen kielioppi, Kotimaisten kielten keskus - The derivational machinery behind clipped forms with an -is ending.
- Kalsarikännit - Finland's official emoji thisisFINLAND, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland - The state's own framing of Finnish drinking-at-home culture, which is the usual setting for this word.
One word.
Every morning.
One real Finnish word every morning - what it means, what the book form is, and when Finns actually say it.
