て済（す）む (te sumu)
～て済む — “get by with ～ / manage with just ～”
Pattern
-
名詞 ＋ で ＋ 済む／済ませるnoun + で + 済む (電話一本で済みました), 済ませる (パン一個で済ませた) -
動詞ない形 ＋ なくて／ないで ＋ 済む~なくて／ないで + 済む = didn't have to ～ (歩かなくて済んだ)
Noun + で 済む
The noun is a small amount or simple means, and で means “by, with.” 電話一本で済みました (it was settled with one call). The transitive 済ませる is used when the speaker does it on purpose: パン一個で済ませた (I made do with one bread roll).
Negative te-form + 済む
～なくて済む / ～ないで済む means “I didn't have to do ～.” 歩かなくて済んだ means that, luckily, walking was not necessary. It often shows relief at escaping something troublesome.
Tips
Do not use it to describe a bare end of an action. For “finish,” use 終わる or ～てしまう. 済む emphasizes that the matter ended with little cost.
Examples
-
その件（けん）は電話（でんわ）一本（いっぽん）で済（す）みました。
Sono ken wa denwa ippon de sumimashita.
That matter was settled with just one phone call.
-
昼食（ちゅうしょく）は、パン一個（いっこ）で済（す）ませた。
Chūshoku wa, pan ikko de sumaseta.
I got by with just one bread roll for lunch.
-
電車（でんしゃ）が動（うご）いていたので、歩（ある）かなくて済（す）んだ。
Densha ga ugoite ita node, arukanakute sunda.
The trains were running, so I didn't have to walk.
Common mistakes
- Do not use it for an ordinary ending. 仕事が済んだ is fine, but the pattern here means being settled with little cost.
- With the negative, the form is ～なくて済む (or ～ないで済む), not ～ないて済む.
More grammar points
- ばよかった ～ばよかった — I should have ～, if only I had ～
- ばかりで ～ばかりで — only ～ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
- ばかりでなく ～ばかりでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけでなく ～だけでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけど だけど — but, however (casual)
- ふりをする ～ふりをする — pretending to ～
- 一方（いっぽう）だ ～一方だ — keeps ～ing in one direction
- 一体（いったい） 一体 — what on earth ～ (emphasizing a question)
- じゃない ～じゃない — isn't it ～! (surprise or confirmation)
- か何（なに）か ～か何か — ～ or something
- 代（か）わりに ～代わりに — instead of ～, in return for ～
- 結局（けっきょく） 結局 — in the end, after all
- きり ～きり — only ～; ever since ～
- っけ ～っけ — was it ～? (recalling)
- ことになっている ～ことになっている — it is the rule or plan that ～
- ことは～が ～ことは～が — it is true that ～, but ～
- くせに ～くせに — even though ～ (with reproach)
- も～ば～も A も ～ば B も ～ — both A and B
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