2 · Particles
To and from a person: 에게, 한테, 께
the particles for people
A person you give, send or say something to takes 에게, 한테 or 께 — never 에.
에 is for places and things. When the one on the receiving end is a person or an animal, Korean switches particles: 에게 in writing and careful speech, 한테 in everyday speech, and 께 for someone you honour. All three have one shape: 친구에게 편지를 써요, 친구한테 전화했어요, 선생님께 드렸어요.
께 comes with humble verbs. The receiver is raised, so the giver lowers the verb: 주다 becomes 드리다, "ask" becomes 여쭤보다, "tell" becomes 말씀드리다. 할머니께 선물을 드렸어요, "I gave Grandmother a present". Using 께 with the plain 주다 sounds like a clash of registers.
"From" a person is 에게서 or 한테서: 친구한테서 선물을 받았어요. In speech the plain 한테 often does the job, because the verb — receive, learn, hear — already says which way things go. From a place or an organisation, it is 에서 again: 회사에서 연락이 왔어요.
Where English speakers go wrong: they use 에 for a person, as "to" would suggest. Plants are things in Korean, so 꽃에 물을 줘요, "I water the flowers", but animals are not: 고양이한테 밥을 줘요, "I feed the cat". The verbs that need these particles are the ones of giving, sending, telling, teaching and asking.
The form
| to a person, written or careful | 친구에게 |
| to a person, in speech | 친구한테 |
| to someone you honour | 선생님께 |
| from a person | 친구에게서, 친구한테서 |
| to a thing or a plant | 꽃에 물을 줘요. |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
A person or an animal on the receiving end takes 에게 or 한테, not 에.
저는 매일 엄마한테 전화해요.I phone my mum every day.
에게 is for writing and careful speech; 한테 is what most people say.
이 편지를 동생에게 보냈습니다.I sent this letter to my younger sibling.
께 is the honorific form, and the verb becomes humble too: 주다 turns into 드리다.
할아버지께 선물을 드렸어요.I gave Grandfather a present.
"From" a person is 에게서 or 한테서; in speech 한테 alone is common.
친구한테서 꽃을 받았어요.I got flowers from a friend.
Places, organisations and plants keep 에 and 에서.
화분에 물을 줬어요.I watered the pot plant.
A closer look
Why 께 brings a humble verb with it
Korean honours a person in two places. If the honoured person is the subject, the subject takes 께서 and the verb takes -시-. If the honoured person is the receiver, the receiver takes 께 and the verb is replaced by a humble one: 드리다, 여쭤보다, 말씀드리다. The two systems are separate, and a sentence can use both: 어머니께서 할머니께 선물을 드리셨어요, "Mother gave Grandmother a present", honours the giver and the receiver at once.
In everyday speech 한테 covers both "to" and "from", and the verb settles it: 친구한테 줬어요, "I gave it to a friend", but 친구한테 받았어요, "I got it from a friend". The same holds for 배우다, learn, and 듣다, hear.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the receiver is an institution — a company, a school, an office
it takes 에, and "from" it takes 에서.
회사에 이메일을 보냈어요.I sent an email to the company.
An institution is treated as a place, even when people work in it.
How to spot it
- 에게
- 한테
- 께
- 에게서
- 한테서
- 드리다
- 주다
- 받다
Example sentences
친구한테 문자를 보냈어요.I sent a text message to a friend.
어머니께 꽃을 드렸어요.I gave my mother flowers.
저는 아이들에게 영어를 가르쳐요.I teach English to children.
고양이한테 밥을 줬어요?Did you feed the cat?
선생님께 여쭤볼게요.I'll ask the teacher.
누나한테서 이 책을 빌렸어요.I borrowed this book from my older sister.
8 more example sentences
제가 민수 씨한테 말할게요.I'll tell Minsu.
강아지한테 물을 좀 주세요.Please give the puppy some water.
저는 친구에게 생일 카드를 썼어요.I wrote a birthday card to a friend.
부모님께 감사 편지를 드렸어요.I gave my parents a thank-you letter.
누구한테 물어봐야 돼요?Who should I ask?
사장님께 말씀드렸어요.I told the boss.
저는 언니한테서 요리를 배웠어요.I learned to cook from my older sister.
이 소식을 아무한테도 말하지 마세요.Don't tell anyone this news.
Worth knowing (1)
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께 and 께서
께 is "to" someone you honour; 께서 is that person as the subject. 할머니께 드렸어요, "I gave it to Grandmother", but 할머니께서 주셨어요, "Grandmother gave it to me".
할머니께서 저에게 용돈을 주셨어요.Grandmother gave me some pocket money.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
에 marks places and things. When the one receiving is a person or an animal, Korean switches to 한테 or 에게 — and to 께 for someone you honour.
Places get e, people get ege or hante, and people you honour get kke with a humble verb.
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.