connective N2 common casualwritten
〜ずに済む — to get by without ~ing
〜ずに済む ・ ずにすむ
Builds on ない形
Meaning
- to get by / manage without ~ing — one is spared having to do something troublesome; it didn't have to be done
Key sentence
友達が手伝ってくれたので、徹夜せずに済んだ。
A friend helped me out, so I managed without pulling an all-nighter.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb ない-form (drop ない) + ずに済む | Vない(→ず) + に済む | 払わずに済む（する → せずに済む） |
Examples
保険に入っていたので、自分で払わずに済んだ。
I had insurance, so I didn't have to pay out of pocket.
在庫があれば、わざわざ買いに行かずに済む。
If it's in stock, I can avoid having to go out and buy it.
When you can't use it
- する becomes せずに済む (not ×しずに). It expresses relief that an unwanted task could be avoided; for the plain 'without ~ing' alone, use ずに / ないで.
Easily confused with
Notes
- The negatives 〜ずに済まない / 〜ないと済まない shift to 'won't be settled unless ~', a separate pattern.
See 〜ずに済む in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ずに済む 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.