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> A: 百均に入ると、何もいらなくても何か買わないと気が済まない人っているんだよね。
>
> B: いるいる。僕だよ。
>
> A: At the dollar store, there is always somebody who has to buy something
> even if they don't need it.
>
> B: Yes, yes! That's me.

I am told that 気が済まない means "won't be satisfied unless," or when one "must (do
something)."

If I translate the expression literally I get confused--

気 spirit/mood/feeling

が

済まない finish; come to an end; excusable; need not

Would anyone be kind enough to give me a clear and thorough explanation of
this expression? I think my main confusion is as to which verb 済まない comes
from.
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2012-10-17T03:53:16.670
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expressions
Explanation of the expression 気が済まない
sum-u has several meanings. The core meaning is for something to to come to an
end, conclude. From this, it also takes on the meaning for something to be
settled, at rest, or under control (as a result of something being concluded).
Putting this together, ki ga sum-u is "for ones feelings to be at rest / under
control", hence content. The negative form, ki ga sum-a-nai, is "for ones
feelings to not be at rest / under control", hence not-content.
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2012-10-17T04:23:02.957
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Just to add a viewpoint:

The expression is usually written with 済む, if with kanji at all, but I
conjecture that the meaning might actually be closer to 澄む, "clear (up)". This
might make it easier to understand the expression intuitively: "doesn't clear
my mind".

[The page for すみません at 語源由来辞典](http://gogen-allguide.com/su/sumimasen.html)
confirms that the etymology of 済む and 澄む are the same, and even hints at
これでは私の気が済みません as a possible origin of すみません.
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2012-10-18T01:28:01.913
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I find the easiest way to understand and remember this is to remember a
particluarly picky colleague who insisted on completeting a certain exercise,
not because it was necessary (we had all told her it was not) but because she
had initially insisted that it was necessary and did not want to admit it was
a waste of time. She ended up completing the exercise to satisfy herself.
Afterwards another colleague, Slightly provocatively, asked her;

> じゃ、気が澄んだ？
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2012-10-18T08:56:31.147
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