Korean Location Particles: Lessons, Rules and Examples

At a glance

• 에 marks where something is or where a movement ends. 에서 marks where an action happens or starts.
• 에게, 한테 and 께 mark a person who receives something. (으)로 marks a direction or a means.
• The set has 9 lessons, mostly level A1, with three at A2.
• The verb decides between 에 and 에서, not the noun.

What Are Korean Location Particles?

A particle (조사, josa) is a short word attached to a noun that shows the noun's job in the sentence. Korean location particles are the particles that answer four questions: where is it, where does it happen, where does it go, and who receives it. English answers these with small words before the noun, such as "at", "in", "to" and "from". Korean puts the particle after the noun.

Here is one sentence with the most common one. Listen first, then read the lessons.

집에 있어요. (jibe isseoyo) "I am at home." Pronounced [지베 이써요].

Each particle has one job, and the jobs split along two lines. The first line is place against action: 에 for existence and arrival, 에서 for activities. The second line is thing against person: 에 for places and objects, 에게, 한테 and 께 for people. The lessons below separate the ideas one at a time.

Where Should You Start with Korean Location Particles?

Start with 에, then the time use of 에, then 에서, then the lesson that compares 에 and 에서. This order keeps each new idea small, and the comparison lesson comes when you have both halves.

1. Location particle 에: where something is, lives or goes.
2. Time particle 에: the same particle with clock and calendar words.
3. Location particle 에서: where an action happens or starts.
4. 에 vs 에서: how to choose between them.
5. 에게 한테 께 indirect object particles: giving, telling and calling a person.
6. 에게 vs 에: a person or a place as the receiver.
7. 에게서 한테서 from a person: receiving from a person.
8. (으)로 particle: direction, route and means.
9. (으)로 vs 에: "toward" against "to".

Once the order is set, the next section gives each lesson its own summary.

Browse by Topic

Each lesson below has one example sentence with audio.

Location Particle 에

Location particle 에 explains how 에 marks a place of existence or a destination, with the verbs 있다, 없다, 가다, 오다 and 살다. Example: 집에 있어요, "I am at home." Level A1.

Time Particle 에

Time particle 에 shows how the same particle marks hours, weekdays, months and seasons, and which words such as 어제 and 오늘 take no particle. Example: 세 시에 만나요 (se sie mannayo), "We meet at three o'clock." Level A1.

Location Particle 에서

Location particle 에서 covers the place where an action happens and the place something comes from. Example: 도서관에서 공부해요 (doseogwaneseo gongbuhaeyo), "I study at the library." Level A1.

에 vs 에서

에 vs 에서 puts both particles on the same place and shows that the verb makes the choice. Example: 도서관에 가요. 도서관에서 책을 읽어요. "I go to the library. I read at the library." Level A1.

에게 한테 께 Indirect Object Particles

에게 한테 께 indirect object particles explains the three ways to say "to" a person: 에게 is neutral, 한테 is spoken and 께 is honorific. Example: 친구에게 선물을 줬어요 (chinguege seonmureul jwosseoyo), "I gave a present to a friend." Level A1.

에게 vs 에

에게 vs 에 shows that people and animals take 에게 while things, places and organisations take 에. Example: 고양이에게 밥을 줘요 (goyangiege babeul jwoyo), "I feed the cat." Level A2.

에게서 한테서 from a Person

에게서 한테서 from a person covers the source of a gift, a message or a call when the source is a person. Example: 친구에게서 선물을 받았어요 (chinguegeseo seonmureul badasseoyo), "I received a present from a friend." Level A2.

(으)로 Particle

(으)로 particle explains direction, route and means, with 으로 after a consonant and 로 after a vowel or ㄹ. Example: 버스로 가요 (beoseuro gayo), "I go by bus." Level A1.

(으)로 vs 에

(으)로 vs 에 contrasts moving toward a place with arriving at a fixed destination. Example: 서울에 가요. 서울로 가요. "I go to Seoul. I head toward Seoul." Level A2.

Which Lesson Fits Your Sentence?

Use this table to open the lesson that matches your question.

How Do 에 and 에서 Differ at a Glance?

The two particles split on the verb. 에 goes with verbs of being and arriving, and 에서 goes with verbs of doing. The snapshot below uses one place.

The most common first mistake in this set is putting 에서 on 있다, 가다 or 오다. The sentence 학교에서 가요 means "I go from school", not "I go to school". For a full explanation, read 에 vs 에서.

How Do You Practise This Set?

Practise in three ways. First, finish the practice set at the end of each lesson; every practice item has an audio answer. Second, use the grammar quizzes to check your particle choices without looking at the table. Third, review the forms with the grammar flashcard decks. To check the verb endings in the examples, use the Korean verb conjugator.

The set of Korean location particles sits inside Korean particles. Next to it, many learners read the Korean topic and subject particles and the Korean object particles. Plan on about 15 to 25 minutes per lesson, which is roughly three and a half hours for the whole set (a typical estimate, not a promise).

What this set does not cover: topic, subject, object and linking particles have their own sets, the span particles 부터 and 까지 sit in the comparison and extent set, and verb endings belong to the conjugation lessons. The set is also written for English speakers who can read Hangul.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Difference between 에 and 에서?

에 marks where something is or where a movement ends, and 에서 marks where an action happens or starts. 도서관에 있어요 means "I am at the library", and 도서관에서 공부해요 means "I study at the library". The verb decides: 있다, 없다, 가다, 오다 and 살다 take 에, while action verbs take 에서.

Which Particle Means "to a Person"?

에게, 한테 and 께 mean "to" a person or an animal. 에게 is neutral and common in writing, 한테 is spoken, and 께 is the respectful form for someone you honour. Use 에 instead when the receiver is a place or an organisation: 회사에 전화했어요 means "I called the company".

How Do I Choose: 에 vs 에서?

Look at the verb, not the noun. If the verb says that something exists or arrives (있다, 없다, 가다, 오다, 살다), use 에. If it names an activity, such as 공부하다, 먹다 or 만나다, use 에서. The same place can take both: 도서관에 가요 and 도서관에서 읽어요 use one library with two particles.

Which Lesson in Location and Direction Particles Should I Read First?

Start with the location particle 에, then the time particle 에, then 에서. These three lessons are level A1. Read 에 vs 에서 next to lock in the contrast. The lessons on people (에게, 한테, 께) and on (으)로 come after, because they assume you can already tell places from actions.