Particles (으)로·부터·까지·에게·한테·께

What You Will Learn in This Unit

In this unit, you will learn to distinguish (으)로, which shows direction, means, and material, from 에서 and 까지, which show the start and end of a place, and from 부터 and 까지, which show the start and end of time. You will also learn 에게, 한테, and 께, which mark the person who receives an action, and 에게서 and 한테서, which mark the person who gives an action.

(으)로: Direction, Means, Material

The particle (으)로 attaches to a noun and expresses direction, means, or material. The form it takes depends on the final sound of the noun. After a noun with no final consonant, 로 is attached. After a noun whose final consonant is ㄹ, 로 is also attached (으 is not added). After a noun ending in any other consonant, 으로 is attached.

(으)로 has three meanings. Direction indicates the destination of a movement (집으로 가요 — I go home). Means indicates moving by riding or using something (버스로 회사에 가요 — I go to work by bus; 지하철로 와요 — I come by subway). Material indicates making something from something (쌀로 밥을 해요 — I make rice from rice grains).

에서 ~ 까지 and 부터 ~ 까지

에서 ~ 까지 is used for places, and 부터 ~ 까지 is used for times. For the start of a place, 에서 is attached, and for the start of a time, 부터 is attached. 까지 shows the end in both places and times and attaches directly to the noun.

Receiver and Giver

에게, 한테, and 께 mark the receiver toward whom an action is directed. 에게 and 한테 have the same meaning, and 한테 is mainly used in speech. 께 is the honorific form of 에게, so it is used for people of higher status. 에게서 and 한테서, on the other hand, mark the giver of an action. The verb 드리다 is the honorific form of 주다 (to give), so it is used together with 께.