---
title: "morkkis"
book_form: "moraalinen krapula"
translation: "The moral hangover."
type: "word"
category: "slang"
url: "https://finnishirl.com/words/morkkis"
canonical: "https://finnishirl.com/words/morkkis"
published: "2026-10-14"
updated: "2026-10-14"
author: "Andrey the Nomad"
site: "Finnish IRL"
license: "https://finnishirl.com/terms#ip"
---

# morkkis
URL: https://finnishirl.com/words/morkkis
Book form (kirjakieli): moraalinen krapula
Translation: The moral hangover.
Pronunciation: /ˈmorkːis/
Category: slang
Archetypes: reaction, thing
Region: Finland
Register: casual
Literal meaning: Shortened from moraalinen krapula, moral hangover.
Tone and safety: Safe. It is said about yourself, usually with resignation.
Published: 2026-10-14

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 it 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.

Book form vs spoken form:
- Moraalinen krapula is the full phrase and it is essentially never used. Morkkis is the word.
- It follows a productive Finnish shortening pattern, a long word clipped and given an -is ending, like fiilis from feeling.

How Finns use it:
- 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.

Tone and safety:
- Self-directed and mildly funny. Saying you have morkkis invites sympathy, not judgement.
- About someone else it changes character. Sulla on varmaan morkkis is a comment on their behaviour, so keep it for yourself.

Common mistake:
- 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.

Examples - morkkis the morning after:
- The morning after, as a complete account of how you are.
  Mulla on hirvee morkkis. - I've got the worst guilt about last night.
- The two come apart, and this is the order they usually come apart in.
  Krapula meni, mut morkkis jäi. - The hangover passed, but the guilt stayed.

Examples - The verb morkkis takes, and when drink is not involved:
- Iski, hit - the verb this noun attracts, as though it arrived from outside.
  Morkkis iski heti aamulla. - The cringe hit first thing.
- The use that surprises learners. Drink is a common cause, not part of the meaning.
  Ei edes juotu, mut morkkis on. - We weren't even drinking, and I've still got it.

Examples - Admitting to morkkis, and trying to shift it:
- A message sent before anybody has filled in the gaps.
  Mitä mä sanoin? Älä kerro, mulla on jo morkkis. - What did I say? Don't tell me, I've already got the cringe.
- The partitive, which is the case it takes when you are trying to be rid of it.
  Ei tätä morkkista saa pois millään. - There's no shifting this one at all.

Mini dialogue:
A: Miten menee?
B: Krapula ei oo paha. Morkkis on.
A: Mitä sä teit?
B: En muista. Se on just se ongelma.

FAQ:
Q: What does morkkis mean?
A: The guilt and cringe the day after - replaying what you said. It is separate from the physical hangover.

Q: What is the difference between morkkis and krapula?
A: Krapula is the headache and nausea. Morkkis is the guilt. You can have either without the other.

Q: Where does the word come from?
A: It is shortened from moraalinen krapula, moral hangover. Nobody says the full phrase.

Q: Do you need to have been drinking?
A: No. Morkkis works for anything you regret having said, drink or no drink.

Q: How do you say you have it?
A: Mulla on morkkis. Finnish treats it as a thing you have, like hunger or a cold.

Related words: myotahapea, kalsarikannit, en-jaksa

Sources:
- Kielitoimiston sanakirja: morkkis, krapula (Kotimaisten kielten keskus): https://www.kielitoimistonsanakirja.fi/#/morkkis
- Kotus dictionaries (Kotimaisten kielten keskus): https://en.kotus.fi/dictionaries/
- VISK § 895 - Omistuslauseen piirteet: vaarilla on saari (Iso suomen kielioppi, Kotimaisten kielten keskus): https://kaino.kotus.fi/visk/sisallys.php?p=895
- VISK § 261 - Laaja johdostyyppi ja sen alatyypit (Iso suomen kielioppi, Kotimaisten kielten keskus): https://kaino.kotus.fi/visk/sisallys.php?p=261
- Kalsarikännit - Finland's official emoji (thisisFINLAND, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland): https://finland.fi/emoji/kalsarikannit/