Tomodai
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ずに済む

To be resolved without doing ~ / To avoid having to ~ Used to express that an action or negative situation was avoided, and therefore no further trouble, responsibility, or effort was required.

N1

Meaning

To be resolved without doing ~ / To avoid having to ~ Used to express that an action or negative situation was avoided, and therefore no further trouble, responsibility, or effort was required.

Formation

Verb (ない-form) + ずに済む
※ Replace ない with ずに
※ する → せずに済む

Explanation

ずに済む is used when something that could have caused trouble, effort, or responsibility did not happen, so the matter is considered settled or resolved.

The key idea is:

“Because X did not happen, things ended without further consequences.”

Key nuance:

  • Focuses on avoidance

  • Often implies:

    • relief

    • reduced burden

    • no need for apology, payment, effort, or action

  • The avoided action is usually:

    • unpleasant

    • troublesome

    • costly

  • Tone is:

    • neutral to slightly relieved

    • objective

  • Common in:

    • reports

    • explanations

    • reflective statements

    • JLPT N1 reading passages

This grammar evaluates the result, not the intention.