Meaning
済 means to finish, to complete, to settle, to be sufficient, and to relieve or help. These meanings share one core idea: bringing something to rest. In modern Japanese, 済 shows up most visibly in 経済 — a word you encounter daily in news and business.
The structure tells the story. 済 combines 氵 (sanzui, water radical) on the left with 斉 on the right. 斉 — written 齊 in traditional form — means equal or aligned. Picture a flooded river slowly calming, its surface leveling after a storm. That image of safe passage — turbulence finally settling — gave 済 its meaning: finishing, resolving, crossing through to the other side.
At 11 strokes, 済 enters the Japanese school curriculum in grade 6. The water radical 氵 runs through many kanji tied to flow and resolution; 済 fits firmly in that family. In daily speech it surfaces in 済む (to be done) and 済ます (to settle or get by), and it anchors financial terms like 返済 and 決済.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is サイ (sai). It appears in compound words — especially those tied to economics, repayment, and relief. Formal and written contexts almost always use this reading.
- 経済 (keizai) — economy, economics
- 返済 (hensai) — repayment, reimbursement
- 救済 (kyūsai) — relief, rescue, salvation
- 決済 (kessai) — settlement of payment, financial clearing
- 共済 (kyōsai) — mutual aid, cooperative benefit
- 弁済 (bensai) — repayment, indemnification (legal/formal)
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi are す(む) — su(mu) and す(ます) — su(masu). 済む is intransitive — the thing finishes on its own. 済ます is transitive — you finish or settle it. Both are common in spoken Japanese. Watch for the suffix 〜済み (ずみ), meaning "already done," on everyday status labels: 配送済み (already shipped), 確認済み (already confirmed).
- 済む (sumu) — to be finished, to be over, to get by
- 済ます (sumasu) — to finish, to settle, to make do with
- 支払い済み (shiharai-zumi) — already paid
- 確認済み (kakunin-zumi) — already confirmed
Common Words & Compounds
Economy & Finance
- 経済 (keizai) — economy, economics
- 経済学 (keizaigaku) — economics (academic field)
- 返済 (hensai) — loan repayment
- 決済 (kessai) — payment settlement, clearing
- 弁済 (bensai) — legal repayment, indemnification
Completion & Status
- 済み (zumi, suffix) — already done, completed (e.g., 配送済み = already shipped)
- 未済 (misai) — unsettled, outstanding, unresolved
- 既済 (kisai) — already settled
Aid & Relief
- 救済 (kyūsai) — rescue, relief, aid
- 共済 (kyōsai) — mutual aid, co-op benefit
- 済世 (saisei) — saving the world, social salvation (literary)
Example Sentences
宿題はもう済みましたか。
Shukudai wa mou sumimashita ka.
Have you finished your homework yet?
彼は借金を返済するために毎月働いている。
Kare wa shakkin wo hensai suru tame ni maitsuki hataraite iru.
He works every month to pay off his debt.
この件はもう済んだことだから、心配しないでください。
Kono ken wa mou sunda koto dakara, shinpai shinaide kudasai.
This matter is already resolved, so please don't worry.
経済が回復すれば、雇用も増えるだろう。
Keizai ga kaifuku sureba, koyō mo fueru darō.
If the economy recovers, employment will likely increase as well.
支払い済みの領収書を保管してください。
Shiharai-zumi no ryōshūsho wo hokan shite kudasai.
Please keep the receipt marked as paid.
昼食はパンで済ませた。
Chūshoku wa pan de sumashita.
I got by with just bread for lunch.
政府は被災者への救済措置を発表した。
Seifu wa hisaisha e no kyūsai sochi wo happyō shita.
The government announced relief measures for disaster victims.
確認済みの書類はこちらの棚に置いてください。
Kakunin-zumi no shorui wa kochira no tana ni oite kudasai.
Please place the confirmed documents on this shelf.
経済的な理由で大学を辞めざるを得なかった。
Keizaiteki na riyū de daigaku wo yamezaru wo enakatta.
I had no choice but to quit university for economic reasons.
Memory Tip
Picture a river (氵) turning calm and even (斉) after a storm. Once the water settles, you can safely cross. That moment — turbulence finally resolved — is 済. Paying off a debt? 返済. Finishing a task? 済む. Studying the 経済? All of it flows from that same image: water finding balance, a matter reaching its end.