-에게서
From (A Person)
-에게서 attaches to a person or animal to show that something comes 'from' them. It's the opposite of -에게 (to a person).
How It Works
-에게서 is a crucial particle for indicating the source of an action when that source is animate (a person or animal). It directly translates to 'from'.
Key Functions:
- Source of an item: Used when you receive something from someone.
e.g., 친구에게서 선물을 받다 (to receive a gift from a friend) - Source of information: Used when you hear or learn something from someone.
e.g., 선생님에게서 소식을 듣다 (to hear news from the teacher)
Important Distinctions:
- -에게서 vs. -에서:
-에게서 is for people/animals.
-에서 is for places.
친구에게서 (from a friend) vs. 학교에서 (from school) - -에게서 vs. -에게:
They are opposites.
-에게서 means 'from' a person.
-에게 means 'to' a person.
친구에게서 편지를 받았어요. (I received a letter from a friend.)
친구에게 편지를 보냈어요. (I sent a letter to a friend.)
In casual conversation, -한테서 is often used instead of -에게서. They mean the same thing, but -한테서 is more common in speech.
Examples (4)
- 친구에게서 선물을 받았어요.
I received a gift from my friend.
Word by Word: Friend from gift received.
- 선생님에게서 한국어를 배워요.
I learn Korean from the teacher.
Word by Word: Teacher from Korean learn.
- 어머니에게서 전화가 왔어요.
A call came from my mother.
Word by Word: Mother from phone call came.
- 그 소식은 누구에게서 들었어요?
Who did you hear that news from?
Word by Word: That news who from heard?
Common Mistakes
Using -에서 for people instead of -에게서.
Not Quite친구에서 그 이야기를 들었어요.Better친구에게서 그 이야기를 들었어요.The particle -에서 is used to indicate 'from a place'. When the source is a person or animal, you must use -에게서.
Using -에게서 for places instead of -에서.
Not Quite은행에게서 돈을 찾았어요.Better은행에서 돈을 찾았어요.The particle -에게서 is only for animate beings (people, animals). For inanimate places like a bank (은행), you must use -에서.
Learn This First
To understand 'from (a person)', you first need to know 에게.
Related Patterns
- 한테To, For
-한테 is the colloquial equivalent of -에게 ('to a person'). Its corresponding 'from' form, -한테서, is the colloquial version of -에게서. They are used interchangeably in spoken Korean.
- 에서From
-에서 also means 'from', but it is used for places and locations, not people. Confusing -에게서 and -에서 is a very common mistake for learners.
- 부터From, Starting with
-부터 means 'from' or 'starting from', but it's used for time (e.g., 9시부터 - from 9 o'clock) or the starting point of a range, not for receiving something from a person.