て済むことではない
🃏 Flashcard
て済むことではない
te sumu koto dewa nai
Tap to reveal usage
~ is not enough to solve the problem
N1
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📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N1
Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms
Reading
te sumu koto dewa nai
Post ID
51378
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
~ is not enough to solve the problem
📖 How to use it
Says that some action is insufficient to resolve a serious problem.
Attaches to
Attach to the て-form of a verb, followed by 済むことではない. The verb is often one that implies a simple solution, like 謝る or 済ませる.
This pattern expresses that a particular action (often an apology, explanation, or small compensation) is not enough to settle a matter. It implies the situation is serious and requires more significant measures. It is used in formal or serious contexts, typically in writing or speeches, not in casual conversation. The nuance is strong: the speaker is rejecting a proposed solution as inadequate. The phrase is fixed; you do not conjugate 済む. Note that こと is nominalizing the whole idea of 'being settled by X'.
この事故は、謝って済むことではない。
Kono jiko wa, ayamatte sumu koto dewa nai.
This accident is not something that can be resolved with an apology.
会社の信用を失ったのだから、お金を払って済むことではない。
Kaisha no shin'you o ushinatta no da kara, okane o haratte sumu koto dewa nai.
Having lost the company's trust, paying money is not enough to fix it.
環境破壊は、技術の進歩で済むことではない。
Kankyou hakai wa, gijutsu no shinpo de sumu koto dewa nai.
Environmental destruction is not something that can be solved by technological progress.
Not 〜て済む (without ことではない)
〜て済む means 'can be settled by doing X' (e.g., 謝って済むなら簡単だ). Adding ことではない negates the adequacy, meaning 'it is not a case where X suffices'.
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Formal and serious; used in writing, speeches, or formal discussion, not in everyday chat.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
て済むことではない
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat て済むことではない three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using て済むことではない. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N1 Patterns
← Previous
てしかるべきだ
should; appropriate; natural to do ~
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てやまない
always; never stop; can’t help but ~
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern て済むことではない mean?
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~ is not enough to solve the problem
What JLPT level is て済むことではない?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use て済むことではない in a sentence?
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Attach て済むことではない (te sumu koto dewa nai) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is て済むことではない formal or casual Japanese?
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て済むことではない is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.
How can I remember て済むことではない long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.