käsky

Käsky is a Finnish noun meaning a command, order, or instruction issued by someone in a position of authority. It denotes an explicit directive that obliges the recipient to act in a specified way. The term is widely used in military, police, judicial, and governmental contexts, but also appears in everyday language when referring to instructions given by a supervisor or elder. In religious contexts, käsky is used in expressions such as the Kymmenen käskyä, the Ten Commandments.

The plural form is käskyt, as in “hän sai käskyn,” meaning “he received an order.” The word is closely related to the verb meaning to command, and the noun form conveys the idea of an authoritative instruction rather than a casual guideline. Because of its authoritative connotation, käsky often implies that compliance is expected and that noncompliance may carry consequences.

In contemporary Finnish, käsky can also appear in administrative or organizational settings to describe formal directives, decrees, or mandates issued by authorities. In computing and information technology discussions, käsky can be used to refer to a command or instruction given to a system or program, though the more neutral term komento is also common depending on context.

See also: määräys, ohje, käskyvallan, käskijä.