済む|すむsumu[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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Definitions
- godan verb, intransitive verbto finish; to end; to be completed; to be resolved
- godan verb, intransitive verbto have a result less severe than expected
- godan verb, intransitive verbto feel at ease
- godan verb, intransitive verbto feel unease or guilt for troubling someone; to be sorryin the negative
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 済む（すむ） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 済みます（すみます） |
| Negative (nai) | 済まない（すまない） |
| polite (masen) | 済みません（すみません） |
| classical zu / nu | 済まず・済まぬ（すまず・すまぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 済んだ（すんだ） |
| polite (mashita) | 済みました（すみました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 済まなかった（すまなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 済みませんでした（すみませんでした） |
| Te form | 済んで（すんで） |
| Potential | 済める（すめる） |
| Passive | 済まれる（すまれる） |
| Causative | 済ませる（すませる） |
| Causative passive | 済ませられる・済まされる（すませられる・すまされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 済めば（すめば） |
| tara | 済んだら（すんだら） |
| Volitional | 済もう（すもう） |
| polite (mashou) | 済みましょう（すみましょう） |
| Imperative | 済め（すめ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
用事が済む
済む focuses on the state of something being finished or settled (the event itself ends), while 済ます focuses on the agent's act of finishing or settling it.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym終結しゅうけつWrittenWritten word for wars and events coming to a formal end, as in 「紛争の終結」; 「済む」 is about getting a matter done and settled.
- Synonym終了しゅうりょうWrittenWritten word for an activity or procedure ending completely, as in 「受付終了」; leans formal.
- Synonym完了かんりょうWrittenWritten word for finishing every step of something, as in 「手続き完了」; stresses that the whole job is done.
- Synonym終わるおわるNeutralThe most versatile, everyday word for something simply ending; 「済む」 can also mean 'this will do' — that this much settles the matter.
- Synonym了するりょうするFormalVery rare formal verb meaning to complete or to understand; everyday speech uses 「終わる」 or 「済む」 for finishing and 「分かる」 for understanding.
- Related終息しゅうそくWrittenWritten word for an epidemic or a troubled situation dying down and ending, as in 「感染の終息」.
- Related完結かんけつWrittenWritten word for a serial story or series reaching its conclusion, as in 「完結編」.
- Related止むやむNeutralFor natural phenomena like rain or wind stopping, as in 「雨が止む」; it is situations that cease, not matters that get done.
- Related終止しゅうしWrittenWritten word for stopping or termination, also the end of a paragraph; 「済む」 is about getting a matter done and settled.
- Antonym始まるはじまるNeutralThe opposite of 「済む」: for a matter beginning rather than finishing, as in 「授業が始まる」.
- Antonym開始するWrittenThe written, formal-sounding opposite of 「済む」: to start something, as in 「試合を開始する」.
For getting a matter done or settled, 「済む」 is the default. Use 「終わる」 for ending in general, 「完了」 or 「終了」 for completing procedures, 「終結」 for the formal end of an event or conflict, 「終息」 for a situation dying down, and 「始まる」 for something starting.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
