How To Write From In Korean

Let's explore how to write "from" in Korean, a seemingly simple word that unlocks a more nuanced understanding of Korean grammar. This article will comprehensively cover the various ways to express "from" in Korean, providing examples and explanations to clarify the nuances of each usage, ensuring you can confidently and accurately convey the concept of origin or source in your Korean writing.

How to Write "From" in Korean

In Korean, the concept of "from" is expressed through several different particles and grammatical structures, each with slightly different meanings and applications. Understanding these nuances is crucial for accurate and natural Korean communication. The most common ways to express "from" are:

• ~에서 (eseo)
• ~부터 (buteo)
• ~에게서 (egeseo)
• ~한테서 (hanteseo)
• ~께 (kke) (honorific)

Each of these particles and structures conveys a different shade of meaning, depending on the context and the nature of the origin or source.

~에서 (eseo): From a Place or Location

The particle ~에서 is primarily used to indicate the starting point or location of an action or event. It signifies "from" in the sense of physical origin or the place where something begins.

• Usage: ~에서 is attached to nouns indicating places or locations.
• Meaning: It means "from," "at," or "in" a specific place.
• Examples:
  • 서울에서 왔어요 (Seoul-eseo wasseoyo): I came from Seoul.
  • 학교에서 공부해요 (Hakgyo-eseo gongbuhaeyo): I study at school.
  • 집에서 시작했어요 (Jib-eseo sijakhaesseoyo): I started from home.

In these examples, ~에서 indicates the origin or location of the action. Seoul is the place of origin, school is where the studying occurs, and home is the starting point.

More Detailed Examples:

• 미국에서 살았어요 (Miguk-eseo sarasseoyo): I lived in America.
  • Here, ~에서 indicates the place where the person lived.
• 식당에서 만났어요 (Sikdang-eseo mannasseoyo): I met at the restaurant.
  • The particle ~에서 specifies the location of the meeting.
• 공원에서 운동해요 (Gongwon-eseo undonghaeyo): I exercise in the park.
  • ~에서 shows where the exercise takes place.

Subtleties of Using ~에서:

• The particle ~에서 can also denote the place where an event occurs, not just the origin. For instance, "파티가 집에서 열렸어요 (Patiga jib-eseo yeollyeosseoyo)" means "The party was held at home."
• When used with verbs of motion, ~에서 often indicates the starting point. For example, "부산에서 출발했어요 (Busan-eseo chulbalhaesseoyo)" means "I departed from Busan."

~부터 (buteo): From a Time or Point

The particle ~부터 is used to indicate the starting time or point of an action or event. It signifies "from" in the sense of temporal origin or the moment something begins.

• Usage: ~부터 is attached to nouns indicating time, dates, or points.
• Meaning: It means "from" a specific time or point.
• Examples:
  • 오늘부터 시작해요 (Oneul-buteo sijakhaeyo): I'm starting from today.
  • 아침부터 밤까지 일해요 (Achim-buteo bam-kkaji ilhaeyo): I work from morning until night.
  • 1월 1일부터 (Ilwol ilil-buteo): From January 1st.

In these examples, ~부터 specifies when the action begins. Today is the starting day, morning is the starting time, and January 1st is the starting date.

More Detailed Examples:

• 5시부터 수업이 시작해요 (Daseot si-buteo sueobi sijakhaeyo): The class starts from 5 o'clock.
  • Here, ~부터 specifies the starting time of the class.
• 어제부터 아팠어요 (Eoje-buteo apasseoyo): I've been sick since yesterday.
  • The particle ~부터 indicates when the sickness began.
• 지금부터 집중하세요 (Jigeum-buteo jipjunghaseyo): Focus from now on.
  • ~부터 shows the starting point of focusing.

Nuances of Using ~부터:

• The particle ~부터 is often used with ~까지 (kkaji) to indicate a range or duration. For example, "월요일부터 금요일까지 (Woryoil-buteo geumyoil-kkaji)" means "From Monday to Friday."
• ~부터 can also imply a sequence or order. For instance, "첫 번째부터 시작하세요 (Cheot beonjjae-buteo sijakhaseyo)" means "Start from the first one."

~에게서 (egeseo): From a Person (Standard)

The particle ~에게서 is used to indicate that something is received or obtained from a person. It is a more formal and standard way of saying "from" when the source is a person.

• Usage: ~에게서 is attached to nouns indicating people.
• Meaning: It means "from" a person.
• Examples:
  • 선생님에게서 배웠어요 (Seonsaengnim-egeseo baewosseoyo): I learned from the teacher.
  • 친구에게서 편지를 받았어요 (Chingu-egeseo pyeonjireul badasseoyo): I received a letter from a friend.
  • 어머니에게서 선물을 받았어요 (Eomeoni-egeseo seonmureul badasseoyo): I received a gift from my mother.

In these examples, ~에게서 indicates the person from whom something is received. The teacher is the source of learning, the friend is the sender of the letter, and the mother is the giver of the gift.

More Detailed Examples:

• 동생에게서 돈을 빌렸어요 (Dongsaeng-egeseo doneul billyeosseoyo): I borrowed money from my younger sibling.
  • Here, ~에게서 specifies who the money was borrowed from.
• 경찰에게서 정보를 얻었어요 (Gyeongchal-egeseo jeongboreul eodeosseoyo): I obtained information from the police.
  • The particle ~에게서 indicates the source of the information.
• 의사에게서 진찰을 받았어요 (Uisa-egeseo jinchareul badasseoyo): I received a medical examination from the doctor.
  • ~에게서 shows who provided the medical examination.

Nuances of Using ~에게서:

• The particle ~에게서 is typically used when receiving something, whether it's tangible or intangible, from a person.
• It is considered more formal than ~한테서.

~한테서 (hanteseo): From a Person (Informal)

The particle ~한테서 is similar to ~에게서 but is more informal. It also indicates that something is received or obtained from a person but is generally used in casual conversations and less formal writing.

• Usage: ~한테서 is attached to nouns indicating people.
• Meaning: It means "from" a person (informal).
• Examples:
  • 친구한테서 들었어요 (Chingu-hanteseo deureosseoyo): I heard it from a friend.
  • 동생한테서 받았어요 (Dongsaeng-hanteseo badasseoyo): I received it from my younger sibling.
  • 선배한테서 배웠어요 (Seonbae-hanteseo baewosseoyo): I learned from a senior.

In these examples, ~한테서 indicates the person from whom something is received in a more casual way. The friend is the source of information, the younger sibling is the giver, and the senior is the source of learning.

More Detailed Examples:

• 남자친구한테서 선물을 받았어요 (Namjachingu-hanteseo seonmureul badasseoyo): I received a gift from my boyfriend.
  • Here, ~한테서 specifies who the gift was received from in an informal context.
• 언니한테서 옷을 빌렸어요 (Eonni-hanteseo oseul billyeosseoyo): I borrowed clothes from my older sister.
  • The particle ~한테서 indicates the source of the borrowed clothes.
• 후배한테서 도움을 받았어요 (Hubae-hanteseo doumeul badasseoyo): I received help from a junior.
  • ~한테서 shows who provided the help.

Nuances of Using ~한테서:

• The particle ~한테서 is generally preferred in spoken Korean and informal writing.
• It is less formal than ~에게서, making it suitable for conversations with friends, family, and peers.

~께 (kke): From a Person (Honorific)

The particle ~께 is an honorific form used to show respect when referring to someone of higher status or age. While it doesn't directly translate to "from," it is used with verbs like 받다 (batda - to receive) to indicate receiving something from someone you respect. You'll often see it combined with ~에서 to indicate both origin and respect.

• Usage: ~께 is attached to nouns indicating people (honorific).
• Meaning: It indicates "to" or "from" someone deserving respect.
• Examples:
  • 할아버지께 들었어요 (Harabeoji-kke deureosseoyo): I heard it from my grandfather (honorific).
  • 선생님께 편지를 받았어요 (Seonsaengnim-kke pyeonjireul badasseoyo): I received a letter from my teacher (honorific).
  • 사장님께 보고했어요 (Sajangnim-kke bogohaesseoyo): I reported to the CEO (honorific).

In these examples, ~께 indicates that the action involves someone who should be treated with respect. The grandfather is the source of information, the teacher is the sender of the letter, and the CEO is the recipient of the report.

More Detailed Examples:

• 교수님께 칭찬을 받았어요 (Gyosunim-kke chingchaneul badasseoyo): I received praise from the professor (honorific).
  • Here, ~께 shows respect towards the professor.
• 부모님께 용돈을 받았어요 (Bumonim-kke yongdoneul badasseoyo): I received pocket money from my parents (honorific).
  • The particle ~께 indicates respect towards the parents.

Nuances of Using ~께:

• The particle ~께 is used to show deference and respect towards the person being referred to.
• It is often used with honorific verb endings to further emphasize respect.
• When indicating "from" someone with respect, you will typically use ~에게서 or ~한테서 but adjust the verb ending to be honorific. For example, instead of saying "선생님에게서 받았어요 (Seonsaengnim-egeseo badasseoyo)," you would say "선생님께 받았어요 (Seonsaengnim-kke badeusseoyo)" or "선생님에게서 받았습니다 (Seonsaengnim-egeseo badeutseumnida)".

Combining Particles

Sometimes, you might need to combine particles to convey a more precise meaning. For example, you might want to say "from the office of the president" or "from the beginning of the movie."

Examples:

• 대통령의 사무실에서 (Daetongnyeong-ui samusil-eseo): From the president's office.
  • Here, ~의 indicates possession ("president's"), and ~에서 indicates location ("from the office").
• 영화의 시작부터 (Yeonghwa-ui sijak-buteo): From the beginning of the movie.
  • ~의 indicates possession ("movie's"), and ~부터 indicates the starting point ("from the beginning").

Other Ways to Express "From"

In addition to the particles mentioned above, there are other ways to express "from" in Korean, depending on the context.

• ~로/으로 (ro/euro): This particle can sometimes imply "from" when indicating a direction or path.
  • 서울로 갔어요 (Seoul-ro gasseoyo): I went to Seoul (implying departure from somewhere else).
• ~에 따르면 (e ttareumyeon): This phrase means "according to," which can imply "from" a source of information.
  • 뉴스에 따르면 (Nyuseu-e ttareumyeon): According to the news (from the news).

Scientific Explanation

From a linguistic perspective, Korean particles like ~에서, ~부터, ~에게서, ~한테서, and ~께 are postpositions. Postpositions are similar to prepositions in English (like "from," "to," "in," "on"), but they come after the noun or pronoun they modify, rather than before. This is a characteristic feature of Korean grammar, which is classified as an agglutinative language.

In agglutinative languages, words are formed by stringing together morphemes (the smallest units of meaning) to create complex words. Particles in Korean act as these morphemes, adding specific grammatical functions and meanings to nouns.

• ~에서: Denotes location or starting point, acting as a spatial marker.
• ~부터: Indicates temporal origin, functioning as a temporal marker.
• ~에게서/한테서: Specifies the source of an action or object involving people, acting as an agent marker.
• ~께: Serves as an honorific marker, showing respect and deference.

These particles help to clarify the relationships between different elements in a sentence, making the meaning precise and context-dependent. The choice of which particle to use depends on the specific nuance the speaker or writer wants to convey, reflecting the rich and expressive nature of the Korean language.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When learning to use these particles, it's easy to make mistakes. Here are some common errors and how to avoid them:

1. Using ~에서 for time: ~에서 should only be used for locations. Don't say "어제에서 시작했어요 (Eoje-eseo sijakhaesseoyo)" to mean "I started from yesterday." Instead, use ~부터: "어제부터 시작했어요 (Eoje-buteo sijakhaesseoyo)."
2. Mixing up ~에게서 and ~한테서: Remember that ~에게서 is more formal. Use it in formal settings and writing. ~한테서 is for casual conversations.
3. Forgetting honorifics: When speaking to someone older or of higher status, use ~께 or honorific verb endings to show respect.
4. Incorrect particle placement: Always attach the particle directly to the noun. For example, "친구에게서 (chingu-egeseo)" is correct, not "에게서 친구 (egeseo chingu)."

Example Sentences Using "From" in Korean

Here are a few more examples to solidify your understanding:

• 한국에서 왔어요 (Hanguk-eseo wasseoyo): I came from Korea.
• 내일부터 운동할 거예요 (Naeil-buteo undonghal geoyeyo): I will exercise from tomorrow.
• 동생에게서 선물을 받았어요 (Dongsaeng-egeseo seonmureul badasseoyo): I received a gift from my younger sibling.
• 엄마한테서 전화가 왔어요 (Eomma-hanteseo jeonhwaga wasseoyo): I received a call from my mom.
• 할머니께 안부 전해주세요 (Halmeoni-kke anbureul jeonhaejuseyo): Please give my regards to my grandmother.
• 집에서 공부하고 있어요 (Jib-eseo gongbuhago isseoyo): I am studying from home.
• 월요일부터 금요일까지 일해요 (Woryoil-buteo geumyoil-kkaji ilhaeyo): I work from Monday to Friday.
• 선생님에게서 칭찬을 받았어요 (Seonsaengnim-egeseo chingchaneul badasseoyo): I received praise from the teacher.
• 친구한테서 그 소식을 들었어요 (Chingu-hanteseo geu sosigeul deureosseoyo): I heard that news from a friend.
• 사장님께 보고서를 제출했어요 (Sajangnim-kke bogoseoreul jechulhaesseoyo): I submitted the report to the CEO.

Conclusion

Understanding how to use "from" in Korean requires learning the nuances of particles like ~에서, ~부터, ~에게서, ~한테서, and ~께. Each particle has its specific context and usage, whether it's indicating a place, time, or person. By mastering these particles and practicing their usage, you can significantly improve your Korean language skills and communicate more effectively. Remember to pay attention to the level of formality and the relationship with the person you are speaking to, and you'll be well on your way to using "from" correctly in Korean.