modality N1 uncommon writtenpolite
〜て済むことではない — ~ alone won't settle it
〜て済むことではない ・ てすむことではない
Meaning
- it's not a matter that ~ will settle / ~ alone won't put it right — the named act is an inadequate response to the gravity of the situation
Key sentence
これは「ごめん」と言って済むことではない。
This isn't something that saying 'sorry' will fix.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb て-form + 済むことではない | V て + 済むことではない |
Examples
お金を返して済むことではない。信頼を失ったのだ。
It's not a matter that returning the money will settle — you've lost their trust.
上司に謝って済むことではないぞ。
This isn't something you can settle just by apologizing to the boss.
Easily confused with
Notes
- An emphatic moral rebuke — the deed is too serious to be wiped out by the named act.
See 〜て済むことではない in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜て済むことではない the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.