て済む（てすむ）

て済む（てすむ） means be resolved by; be enough to. It is a JLPT N3 grammar pattern used to say that a problem can be settled with a limited action or cost.

This grammar point often appears in neutral Japanese. If you want to say that a problem can be settled with a limited action or cost, て済む（てすむ） is a useful pattern to learn.

What does て済む（てすむ） mean?

Use て済む（てすむ） when you want to say that a problem can be settled with a limited action or cost.

Natural translations include:

• be resolved by; be enough to
• be resolved by
• be resolved by / be enough to

How to form て済む（てすむ）

Verbて-form + 済む

Examples of the pattern:

• 謝って済む
• 払って済む
• 少し待って済む

When is て済む（てすむ） used?

Use て済む（てすむ） in situations like:

• explaining grammar in context
• answering JLPT reading questions
• making natural Japanese sentences

Tone and register:

• neutral
• Common in JLPT reading, grammar questions, and natural Japanese sentences

て済む（てすむ） example sentences

• 謝って済む問題ではない。 — This is not a problem that can be solved just by apologizing.
• 千円払って済みました。 — It was settled by paying 1,000 yen.
• 電話一本で済む話です。 — It is something that can be handled with one phone call.
• けがをしないで済んでよかった。 — I am glad I got away without being injured.
• 早く気づいたので、大きな問題にならずに済んだ。 — Because I noticed early, it avoided becoming a big problem.

Nuance of て済む（てすむ）

The key nuance is a natural way to express “be resolved by; be enough to” with the right context and tone.

This matters because て済む（てすむ） does more than match a single English phrase. It shows how the speaker frames the condition, timing, example, role, intention, or contrast in the sentence.

For example:

• In context, it sounds natural when the surrounding sentence supports the nuance.
• Compared with だけでいい, it has a different focus and level of formality.

て済む（てすむ） vs だけでいい

Both て済む（てすむ） and だけでいい can appear in related situations, but they are different.

て済む（てすむ）:

• means be resolved by; be enough to
• fits the specific N3 pattern and nuance explained above

だけでいい:

• だけでいい says “just is fine”; て済む focuses on resolving or getting by with that action

Quick contrast examples:

• Target: 謝って済む問題ではない。 — This is not a problem that can be solved just by apologizing.
• Compare: Try replacing it with だけでいい and check whether the nuance still matches.

Common mistakes with て済む（てすむ）

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Using て済む（てすむ） with the wrong form
• Confusing て済む（てすむ） with だけでいい
• Translating it too literally instead of reading the whole sentence

Is て済む（てすむ） on the JLPT?

Yes. て済む（てすむ） is commonly taught as JLPT N3 grammar.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for て済む（てすむ）

Try making your own sentences with these prompts:

• Write one sentence using て済む（てすむ）.
• Contrast て済む（てすむ） with だけでいい.
• Make a JLPT-style sentence where the context makes the meaning clear.

Learning path for て済む（てすむ）

To learn て済む（てすむ） efficiently, review the formation first, then compare it with the closest existing grammar point before writing your own sentence.

1. First, make sure you can form て済む（てすむ） without looking at the pattern chart.
2. Next, compare it with てばかりいる, てごらん. These patterns are close enough that choosing between them helps you understand the nuance.
3. Finally, write sentences where the grammar point’s nuance is necessary; then check whether replacing て済む（てすむ） with てはじめて changes the meaning.

Related grammar to review next

• てばかりいる — because it appears in the same grammar family.
• てごらん — because it appears in the same grammar family.
• てはじめて — because it appears in the same grammar family.
• てからでないと — because it appears in the same grammar family.

Learn て済む（てすむ） with Hane

If you want to review て済む（てすむ） together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you connect grammar, kanji, and vocabulary in short, focused sessions.

Browse more lessons here:

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• JLPT N3 grammar lessons