other N2 uncommon casualpolitewritten

済む — to be finished

済む ・ すむ

Meaning

① be finished / be over: to be finished / be done / be over — a task or matter comes to completion
② be settled / get by with: to be settled / be resolved / get by with just ~ — a matter is dealt with, often more easily than feared

Key sentence

① be finished / be over
Once my errand is done, I'll go straight home.
② be settled / get by with
This time it ended with just a warning.

Formation

Attaches toFormExample
Noun + が／で, or て-form N が済む ／ N で済む ／ V て済む

Examples

① be finished / be over
Let's have a proper talk after the meal is over.
② be settled / get by with
It's a matter that can be settled with a single phone call.
It's not something you can just laugh off.

Easily confused with

終わる 終わる neutrally marks an action or event ending. 済む adds 'and the matter is settled / dealt with', stressing resolution and often relief. ずに済む ずに済む is the fixed pattern 'get by without ~ing'. Bare 済む is the base verb 'be finished / be settled'.

Notes

See 済む in real sentences

Jengo shows 済む the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.

Study it in Jengo

Sources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.

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