How does 〜しなくても済んだだろう work?


> せめて親でも生きていてくれたら、 **こんなに苦労しなくても済んだ** だろう
>
> I wouldn't have so many difficulties, if only my parents were still alive.
> _[Example sentence from Japanese Postpositions: Theory and Practice ISBN-13:
> 978-3895861116]_

As I understand it, the bolded part works like this:

  * 苦労する: to be having trouble
  * 苦労しない: to not be having trouble
  * 苦労しなくて: connective form of the above
  * 苦労しなくても: も added to emphasize `not having trouble`
  * 済んだ: past form of 済む added to mean "manage", "make do" (?)

With that in mind, to me the whole thing, 苦労しなくても済んだ, now means
"managing/making do and **not** having trouble"? Considering the translation
given by the book, how is it implied that the speaker **is** having
difficulty?

Please note I do not actually understand how 済む is used here, grammar-wise.
The above is just guesswork. I would appreciate some help on that as well.

The main question is, following the chain of logic above, possibly linked in
me misunderstanding the use of も and/or 済む:

Why is the negative form 苦労しない used here (but implying the speaker actually
does 苦労) instead of the positive form?




> 「せめて[親]{おや}でも[生]{い}きていてくれ **たら** 、こんなに[苦労]{くろう}し **なくて** も[済]{す}んだだろう。」

First, this sentence is 100% natural, grammatical, etc.; It is perfect. As a
Japanese-speaker, I know that _**without**_ even thinking. (考え **なくて** もわかる) ←
Hint #1: "Without" ≒「なくて」

I am thinking to myself: 「もし、user9771さんも[日本語話者]{にほんごわしゃ}だっ **たら**
、この[文]{ぶん}を[理解]{りかい}するのに **苦労しなくて済む** のに・・・」← Hint #2

> 「Verb phrase + なくて/ないで + (も) + [済]{す}む」
>
> = "can manage/survive/do/get through, etc. _**without**_ (verb phrase)"

To express the "without" part, the verb phrase in Japanese _**MUST**_ be in
the negative form because you are essentially saying that you would make it if
it were _**not**_ for (something).

There is just no exception; The verb needs to be in the negative form.

> "What will happen if I use the _**affirmative**_ form by mistake?" asks my
> imaginary Japanese-learner.

That will change the meaning of the sentence _**completely**_!

Suppose you did not like eating raw fish but you were served sashimi as part
of a course dinner.

You:「ボクのサシミ、[食]{た}べてくれない？そしたら、ボク **食べなくて** 済むから。」

Guy:「[自分]{じぶん}で[食]{く}えよ。たった3-4[切]{き}れだろ？ささっと **食えば** 済むんだから。」

You: "Could you eat my sashimi for me? So that I'll get through without eating
it myself? (And it'll save me from looking impolite)"

Guy: "Eat it yourself, man! It's only a coupla tiny pieces, ain't it? Just
swallow it down quickly and dinner _**will be over**_."

As you have seen above, I hope, if you used the affirmative verb form in front
of 「済む」, the phrase would mean "(something) gets finished". "To end
completely" is one meaning of 「済む」.

> With that in mind, to me the whole thing, 苦労しなくても済んだ, now means
> "managing/making do and not having trouble"?

Exactly.

> Considering the translation given by the book, how is it implied that the
> speaker is having difficulty?

It is actually "stated clearly", and not "merely implied". 「こんなに～～ない」 means
"not this much". That would indicate there is an amount of (something) if not
a whole lot, would it not?

> Why is the negative form 苦労しない used here (but implying the speaker actually
> does 苦労) instead of the positive form?

I hope I have already answered this, but you just have no choice but to use
the negative verb form to express "to get by _**without**_ ~~ing". "Without"
has a negative meaning, does it not? It just is not a verb in English.

_**In meaning**_ , would you not agree that "Without (verb)ing" = "With not
(verb)ing" even though the latter may not be used in real life?




> 「せめて[親]{おや}でも[生]{い}きていてくれ **たら** 、こんなに[苦労]{くろう}し **なくて** も[済]{す}んだだろう。」

First, this sentence is 100% natural, grammatical, etc.; It is perfect. As a
Japanese-speaker, I know that _**without**_ even thinking. (考え **なくて** もわかる) ←
Hint #1: "Without" ≒「なくて」

I am thinking to myself: 「もし、user9771さんも[日本語話者]{にほんごわしゃ}だっ **たら**
、この[文]{ぶん}を[理解]{りかい}するのに **苦労しなくて済む** のに・・・」← Hint #2

> 「Verb phrase + なくて/ないで + (も) + [済]{す}む」
>
> = "can manage/survive/do/get through, etc. _**without**_ (verb phrase)"

To express the "without" part, the verb phrase in Japanese _**MUST**_ be in
the negative form because you are essentially saying that you would make it if
it were _**not**_ for (something).

There is just no exception; The verb needs to be in the negative form.

> "What will happen if I use the _**affirmative**_ form by mistake?" asks my
> imaginary Japanese-learner.

That will change the meaning of the sentence _**completely**_!

Suppose you did not like eating raw fish but you were served sashimi as part
of a course dinner.

You:「ボクのサシミ、[食]{た}べてくれない？そしたら、ボク **食べなくて** 済むから。」

Guy:「[自分]{じぶん}で[食]{く}えよ。たった3-4[切]{き}れだろ？ささっと **食えば** 済むんだから。」

You: "Could you eat my sashimi for me? So that I'll get through without eating
it myself? (And it'll save me from looking impolite)"

Guy: "Eat it yourself, man! It's only a coupla tiny pieces, ain't it? Just
swallow it down quickly and dinner _**will be over**_."

As you have seen above, I hope, if you used the affirmative verb form in front
of 「済む」, the phrase would mean "(something) gets finished". "To end
completely" is one meaning of 「済む」.

> With that in mind, to me the whole thing, 苦労しなくても済んだ, now means
> "managing/making do and not having trouble"?

Exactly.

> Considering the translation given by the book, how is it implied that the
> speaker is having difficulty?

It is actually "stated clearly", and not "merely implied". 「こんなに～～ない」 means
"not this much". That would indicate there is an amount of (something) if not
a whole lot, would it not?

> Why is the negative form 苦労しない used here (but implying the speaker actually
> does 苦労) instead of the positive form?

I hope I have already answered this, but you just have no choice but to use
the negative verb form to express "to get by _**without**_ ~~ing". "Without"
has a negative meaning, does it not? It just is not a verb in English.

_**In meaning**_ , would you not agree that "Without (verb)ing" = "With not
(verb)ing" even though the latter may not be used in real life?

