-에서
-eseo[e̞sʰʌ̹]
Korean expresses at with particles attached to the noun, mainly -에서 (-eseo) for where an action happens and -에 (-e) for where something is or a point in time. If unsure, use -에서.
Meaning: in or very near a particular place (prep)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| -에서 | -eseo | [e̞sʰʌ̹] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| -에 | -e | [e̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
Korean has no separate word for at. You attach -에서 or -에 directly to the end of a noun for a place or time.
Which one should you use?
Use -에서 when an action or event is taking place at a location. Use -에 when describing where something simply exists or is located, and for direction.
How does it change in a sentence?
-에 also marks a specific point in time, such as at 5 o'clock or at noon.
How do you pronounce it?
-에서 is pronounced -eseo.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use -에서 for simple existence, as in I am at school. With the verb 있다, meaning to be or exist, use -에 instead.
Did you know?
- The particle -에 is a compound derived from two even older locative particles in Old Korean, 良 and 中.
- The particle -에서 can also function as 'from' when used with verbs of departure, moving from a static 'at' to a starting point.
- In casual spoken Korean, the particle -에 is dropped much more frequently than -에서 when the location is already obvious from the context.
Examples in context
- 그는 집에 있다.He is at home.집에 is used with 있다 because this sentence describes where he is.
- 아침에 일어난다.He wakes up at morning.Here 아침에 uses the particle for a point in time.
- 집에서 낮잠 잔다.I'm taking a nap at home.집에서 marks home as the place where the action of napping happens.
- 회사에At the company
- 친구와 학교에서 만났어요.I met my friend at school.
- 레스토랑에서 저녁을 먹었어요.We had dinner at the restaurant.
- 나는 공원에서 책을 읽었어요.I read a book at the park.
- 교실에서 만나!Let's meet at the classroom!
- 마트에서 물건 사다Buy things at the mart
- 식당에서 식사하다Have a meal at the restaurant
- 도서관에서 공부하다Study at the library
Sources
- Wiktionary, “at” translations and entries -에서, -에, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries -에, -에서, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
