Kanji N3

済: settle (debt, etc.), relieve (burden), finish

済 is a JLPT N3 kanji meaning settle (debt, etc.), relieve (burden), finish, written with 11 strokes. It is read サイ, セイ (on) and すむ, すまない, すます (kun). Children in Japan learn it in grade 6. You will see it in 経済 (けいざい, economy) and 済ませる (すませる, to finish).

済

Meanings

  • settle (debt, etc.)
  • relieve (burden)
  • finish
  • come to an end
  • excusable
  • need not
Strokes11
JLPT levelN3
School gradeGrade 6
Frequency#168 of 2,500

On reading · Kun reading

On reading
  • サイ
  • セイ

On'yomi: from Chinese, written in katakana. Used in compound words.

Kun reading
  • すむ
  • -ずみ
  • -ずみ
  • すまない
  • すます
  • -すます
  • すくう
  • なす
  • わたし
  • わたる

Kun'yomi: native Japanese, in hiragana. The faint part is the okurigana, written in kana after the kanji.

Watch the stroke order

Every stroke in order, the live one in vermilion. Replay as often as you like.

1234567891011

Now draw it

Trace each stroke in order. Wrong direction or wrong order gets flagged right away.

12345678910110 / 11

Your turn: draw stroke 1 of 11. Start at the dot.

Common words with 済

The most useful words written with it, easiest first. Every other kanji in them opens its own page.

  • 経済けいざい

    economy; economics

    JLPT N4
  • 済ませるすませる

    to finish; to make an end of

    JLPT N3
  • 済むすむ

    to finish; to end; to be completed

    JLPT N4
  • 返済へんさい

    repayment; reimbursement; refund; redemption

    JLPT N1
  • 救済きゅうさい

    relief; aid; help; rescue

    JLPT N1
  • 済ますすます

    to finish; to get it over with; to conclude

    JLPT N1
  • 済まないすまない

    inexcusable; unjustifiable; unpardonable

    JLPT N2
  • 共済きょうさい

    mutual aid

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Stroke order from KanjiVG © Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0. Readings, meanings and words from KANJIDIC2 and JMdict, names from JMnedict, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0, and Wikidata, CC0; the Spanish meanings they lack, translated by Naraio from their English, are shared under the same licence. Example sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR. JLPT lists after Jonathan Waller (tanos.co.uk), CC BY. Sentences split into words with IPADIC © NAIST and IPA, through Lindera.