부터 from Particle: Meaning, Rules and Examples

The 부터 from particle is a Korean marker that means "from" or "since". It attaches to a time, an item or a person and shows where something starts, as in 아침부터 비가 와요 ("it has been raining since morning"). After this lesson you can mark a starting point and tell 부터 apart from 에서 and 에.

What you'll learn

• Attach 부터 to a time word, an item or a person to mark a starting point.
• Build a sentence such as 아침부터 비가 와요 from its parts.
• Distinguish 부터 from 에서 and 에 in a new sentence.
• Diagnose the error in 아침에서 저녁까지 and fix it.

Before you start: you can read Hangul, know basic Korean word order and have met the particle 까지 in the lesson on the 까지 until particle. Estimated time: 20 minutes.

What Does the 부터 from Particle Mean?

The 부터 from particle means "from", "since" or "starting with". It marks the point where a time, a series or an action begins. A particle (조사, josa) is a short word attached to a noun to show how the noun relates to the rest of the sentence, a little like a label on a box.

Think of 부터 as the green flag at the start of a race. The word before it is the line where the race begins. What happens after the flag is described by the rest of the sentence. The finish line is a different particle, 까지, which is why the two often appear in pairs.

Korean uses 부터 in two ways. The first is a start in time: 아침부터 (since morning), 월요일부터 (from Monday). The second is a start in order: 이것부터 (starting with this one), 민수 씨부터 (Minsu first). English uses different words for each ("since", "from", "start with"), but Korean uses one particle for all three.

A First Example

Two sentences show the two uses. The first sets a starting time. The second picks the first item.

• 아침부터 비가 와요. (achimbuteo biga wayo) [아침부터 비가 와요] = "It has been raining since morning." Word by word: 아침 (morning) + 부터 (since) + 비 (rain) + 가 (subject) + 와요 (comes, falls).

• 이것부터 하세요. (igeotbuteo haseyo) [이걷뿌터 하세요] = "Start with this one." Word by word: 이것 (this) + 부터 (starting with) + 하세요 (please do).

Notice two things. First, the first sentence uses the present tense (와요) for something that has been going on for hours. Korean often uses the present tense where English says "has been raining", so the present tense plus 부터 does the job. Second, in 이것부터 the final ㅅ of 이것 is said [ㄷ], and the following ㅂ becomes tense, giving [이걷뿌터]. With the meaning in place, the next question is how to build the rule.

How Does the 부터 from Particle Work?

The 부터 from particle works by attaching to the word that names the starting point. The form never changes: it is 부터 after a vowel and 부터 after a consonant.

1. Pick the starting point: a time, a day, an item or a person.
2. Attach 부터 with no space: 아침부터, 월요일부터, 이것부터.
3. Add the rest of the sentence: what happens, or what you ask the listener to do.
4. For a range, add the end point with 까지: 아침부터 저녁까지 ("from morning until evening").
5. For emphasis or contrast, add 는: 오늘부터는 ("from today on").

Pattern Table

The table shows common starting points with 부터. Brackets show pronunciation where it differs from the spelling.

The last two rows show that 부터 also follows a short clause ending in 때 ("time when") and a number. The pattern is clear, so the next section builds one full sentence from scratch.

Worked Example, Step by Step

This worked example builds 아침부터 비가 와요 ("It has been raining since morning") from its parts. Each step names one decision, so you can repeat the process with any starting time.

1. Choose the event. You want to say that it rains, so the verb is 오다 (to come, to fall), and the thing that comes is 비 (rain).
2. Choose the starting time. The rain began in the morning, so the starting point is 아침.
3. Attach 부터. Write 아침부터 with no space. Now the sentence says "since morning".
4. Mark the subject. 비 ends in a vowel, so the subject particle is 가: 비가.
5. Make the verb polite. 오다 becomes 와요 in the polite style, because 오 + 아요 contracts to 와요.
6. Choose the tense. The rain is still falling, so use the present tense. If the rain has stopped, use the past: 아침부터 비가 왔어요 ("it rained from morning").
7. Say it aloud. All syllables are pronounced as written, so the sentence is [아침부터 비가 와요].

You'll know it worked when you can swap the parts. Replace the time: 어제부터 비가 와요 (it has been raining since yesterday). Replace the event: 아침부터 바빠요 (I have been busy since morning). The same steps also help you separate 부터 from the particles that look similar, which the next section compares.

How Is 부터 Different from 에서 and 에?

The 부터 from particle marks the start of a time or a sequence, 에서 marks the start of a place or movement, and 에 marks one point in time or a destination. Learners mix them up because English "from" covers more than one of these jobs.

A pair of sentences shows why the choice matters. 아침에 비가 와요 means "It rains in the morning", a statement about one time of day. 아침부터 비가 와요 means "It has been raining since morning", a statement about a stretch of time that began then. The lessons on the time particle 에, the location particle 에서 and 에게서 한테서 from a person cover the other three in depth.

The two end points are also separate. 부터 marks where a range starts and 까지 marks where it ends, and the lesson on 부터 까지 vs 에서 까지 compares the time pair with the place pair. With the neighbours separated, the next section lists when to use 부터.

When Do You Use 부터, and When Not?

Use 부터 for the start of a time, the first item in a series and "from now on" phrases. Avoid it for places, for people as a source and for reasons.

Four Common Uses

Each use comes with one sentence you can reuse.

1. Start of a time. 월요일부터 일해요. (woryoilbuteo ilhaeyo) = I work from Monday.
2. First in a series. 먼저 밥부터 먹어요. (meonjeo bapbuteo meogeoyo) = Let's eat the meal first. 먼저 means "first", and 부터 adds "before anything else".
3. From now on. 지금부터 시작해요. (jigeumbuteo sijakaeyo) = We start from now. With 는, 오늘부터는 일찍 자요 means "From today on, I go to bed early", and the 는 adds a contrast with the past.
4. Since a past period. 어렸을 때부터 한국어를 공부했어요. (eoryeosseul ttaebuteo hangugeoreul gongbuhaesseoyo) = I have studied Korean since I was little.

Where 부터 Does Not Go

Three places cause trouble.

1. For a starting place. Native speakers usually say 서울에서 출발해요 for where a trip begins, not 서울부터 출발해요. Use 에서: 서울에서 출발해요 ("I leave from Seoul"). 부터 on a place is possible only when you list places in order, as in "start with Seoul".
2. For a person as the source. 친구부터 받았어요 does not mean "I received it from a friend"; on a person, 부터 marks who comes first in a series. Use 한테서 for the source: 친구한테서 받았어요. Likewise 민수 씨부터 하세요 means "Minsu first".
3. For a reason. English "since" can mean "because", as in "Since it rained, we stayed home". 부터 cannot mean that. Use -(으)니까 or 때문에 for reasons.

Speech and Writing

The 부터 from particle works in every register: casual talk, polite speech, schedules, news and official notices. It never changes with politeness. Only the ending of the verb changes: 시작해 (casual), 시작해요 (polite) and 시작합니다 (formal). Knowing the uses is half the job; the other half is spotting the mistakes covered next.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with 부터?

Learners usually make five predictable mistakes with 부터. Each one below follows the pattern "learners often assume X; actually Y, because Z".

1. Using 에서 for time. Learners often write 아침에서 저녁까지. Actually 에서 marks a place, so the time range is 아침부터 저녁까지.
2. Using 에 for a stretch of time. Learners often say 아침에 비가 와요 for "it has been raining since morning". Actually 에 marks one point, so the sentence means "it rains in the morning". Use 부터 for a start.
3. Leaving a space. Learners often write 아침 부터. Actually 부터 attaches to the word before it, so the correct form is 아침부터.
4. Believing 부터 is only for time. Learners often think 부터 is a time word. Actually it also marks the first item in a series, which is why 이것부터 하세요 is correct.
5. Translating "since" as "because". Learners often reach for 부터 when English says "since it rained". Actually 부터 gives a starting point only, and a reason needs -(으)니까.

A rule of thumb: ask "where does it begin: a time, a place or a person?" Choose 부터 for time or order, 에서 for place, and 한테서 for a person. That one question fixes most beginner errors, and the practice set below tests it.

Practice and Answers

These four exercises check the outcomes listed at the top of the lesson. Write or say your answers first, then check them in the answer key.

Exercise 1: Choose the particle. Fill each gap with 부터, 에서 or 에.

1. 월요일__ 금요일까지 일해요. (I work from Monday to Friday.)
2. 서울__ 출발해요. (I leave from Seoul.)
3. 아침__ 비가 와요. (It has been raining since morning.)
4. 저녁 일곱 시__ 만나요. (We meet at seven in the evening.)

Exercise 2: Fix the error. Each sentence has one problem.

1. 아침에서 저녁까지 일해요.
2. 아침 부터 비가 와요.

Exercise 3: Translate. "Let's start from now." (start = 시작해요)

Exercise 4: Write your own. Write one sentence that says since when you have studied Korean, using 부터 and a past time such as 작년 (last year).

Answer Key

• Exercise 1: 1 부터 (start of a time range). 2 에서 (starting place). 3 부터 (since morning). 4 에 (one point in time).
• Exercise 2: 1 아침부터 저녁까지 일해요. 에서 marks a place, not a time. 2 아침부터 비가 와요. Remove the space.
• Exercise 3: 지금부터 시작해요. (jigeumbuteo sijakaeyo) 지금 means "now", and 부터 marks the start.
• Exercise 4: One model answer: 작년부터 한국어를 공부해요. (jangnyeonbuteo hangugeoreul gongbuhaeyo) = I have studied Korean since last year. The present tense is natural because the studying continues. Any past time is correct if 부터 follows it directly.

If you missed Exercise 1, return to the table that compares 부터, 에서 and 에. If you missed Exercise 2, reread the mistakes section. The next section points to where to go from here.

Next Lessons and Where to Go from Here

The natural next lesson is 부터 까지 vs 에서 까지, which chooses between the time pair and the place pair for "from ... to". If you have not yet read the end-point lesson, start with the 까지 until particle. The full set is listed under Korean comparison particles.

What this lesson does not cover. This lesson does not cover the longer form 에서부터, the full "from ... to" range pattern, or the many time words that combine with 부터. The range pattern has its own lesson, and time words belong to the numbers and time sets.

In short, the 부터 from particle marks where a time or a sequence begins: attach it to a time or an item with no space, and pair it with 까지 when you need the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 부터 mean in Korean? 부터 marks the starting point of a time or a sequence. 아침부터 means "since morning" or "from morning", and 이것부터 means "starting with this one". It tells the listener where something begins, not where it ends. For the end point, use 까지, and for a starting place, use 에서.

How do I form 부터? Attach 부터 straight to a time word, an item or a person, with no space and no change for vowels or consonants: 아침부터, 월요일부터, 이것부터, 민수 씨부터. After a clause, add 때 or another noun first: 어렸을 때부터 means "since I was little". Pair 부터 with 까지 to make a range.

What is the most common mistake with 부터? The most common mistake is using 에서 for time, as in 아침에서 저녁까지. 에서 marks a starting place, not a starting time. Say 아침부터 저녁까지 ("from morning to evening"). A second frequent mistake is using 에 instead of 부터: 아침에 비가 와요 means "it rains in the morning", not "since morning".

How is 부터 different from 에서 and 에? 부터 starts a time or a sequence: 아침부터. 에서 starts a place or a movement: 서울에서 왔어요 (I came from Seoul). 에 marks one point in time or a destination: 아침에 일어나요 (I get up in the morning). Their uses rarely overlap, so check whether the word is a time or a place.

Do I use 부터 in speech, writing or both? Both. 부터 is used in casual chat, polite speech, announcements, schedules and written reports. The particle never changes with politeness; only the verb ending does: 시작해 (casual), 시작해요 (polite), 시작합니다 (formal). It is very common in set phrases such as 지금부터 ("from now") and 처음부터 ("from the start").