perkele
What does perkele mean? perkele is a Finnish severe that translates to “devil / goddammit / fuck” in English.
Literal Translation
evil spirit / thunder god
Meaning & Usage
"devil / goddammit / fuck"
The ultimate, most iconic Finnish swear word. Originally the name of the pagan god of thunder, later co-opted by Christians to mean the devil.
Examples in the Wild
Perkele! (Goddammit / Fuck!)
When to Use It
Context
- Expressing strong frustration or emphasis
- Only among very close friends who share this register
- As a spontaneous exclamation
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Around elders or authority figures
- Public spaces — will cause genuine offense
- Around religious or conservative communities
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
Not just a word, but an emotion. Must be shouted with a heavily rolled 'R' from the bottom of the lungs. Represents raw Finnish anger and determination (sisu).
More in Finnish 🇫🇮
View all →vittupää
“fuckhead / dickhead”
A harsher, more vulgar version of kusipää.
jonne
“Kyle / annoying teen boy drinking energy drinks”
The male equivalent of a 'pissis'. A teenage boy who drinks ES (Euro Shopper energy drink), rides a moped, and plays CS:GO.
persreikä
“asshole”
Anus. Used precisely like 'asshole' in English to describe a horrible person or place.
vittuun
“away / to hell”
The illative case of 'vittu'. Means directing something or someone into the cunt.
kusipää
“asshole / dickhead”
Someone with piss in their head instead of brains. An arrogant, annoying, or cruel person.
samperi
“sam hill / gosh darn”
Yet another very soft, almost comedic euphemism for Satan.
hevonvittu
“the middle of nowhere”
Used to describe a place that is extremely remote, desolate, or terrible.
hevonpaska
“bullshit / horseshit”
Lies or nonsense.