Place and Time Particles · 에, 에서

2. How it works

2.1 The basic formula

Both particles attach directly to a noun, with no space. The verb at the end decides which particle you need. Time words use 에 as well.

Place + 에 가다 / 오다     →  go to, come to a place
Place + 에 있다 / 없다     →  be at, not be at a place
Time  + 에 …               →  at, on, in a time
Place + 에서 (action)      →  do something at a place
Place + 에서 왔어요        →  came from a place

There is no change in spelling. Both particles are written the same after a consonant or a vowel, so 집에, 학교에, 집에서 and 학교에서 all look the same way.

2.2 에 for a destination

Use 에 for the place you move toward. It goes with verbs of movement such as 가다 (to go), 오다 (to come) and 다니다 (to attend regularly). The English word is "to".

학교에 가요.        hak-gyo-e ga-yo.       I go to school.
한국에 와요.        han-gu-ge wa-yo.       I come to Korea.
회사에 다녀요.      hoe-sa-e da-nyeo-yo.   I go to work at a company.

The question word is 어디에 (to where). So 어디에 가요? means Where are you going? Notice that the place is the goal of the movement, not the place of an action.

2.3 에 for where something is

Use 에 with 있다 (to be, to exist) and 없다 (not to be). The place is the spot where a person or thing exists. The English word is "in" or "at".

The verb 살다 (to live) takes 에 or 에서, as in 서울에 살아요 and 서울에서 살아요 (I live in Seoul). Both are correct and mean the same thing.

2.4 에 for time

Use 에 after a time word to say when something happens. It works with clock times, days, parts of the day, months and years. The English words are "at", "on" and "in".

Some time words never take 에. These are 오늘 (today), 어제 (yesterday), 내일 (tomorrow), 지금 (now), 매일 (every day) and 언제 (when). Say 내일 가요, not 내일에 가요.

2.5 에서 for the place of an action

Use 에서 when an action happens at a place. The verb is something you do, such as study, eat, work or meet. The place answers the question "where do you do it?".

도서관에서 공부해요.    do-seo-gwa-ne-seo gong-bu-hae-yo.   I study at the library.
식당에서 먹어요.        sik-dang-e-seo meo-geo-yo.          I eat at a restaurant.
카페에서 만나요.        ka-pe-e-seo man-na-yo.              We meet at a cafe.

The question word is 어디에서 (where). So 어디에서 일해요? means Where do you work? The place stays the same, but the verb is an action, so the particle is 에서.

2.6 에서 for "from", and 에 vs 에서

에서 also means "from" a place. It marks the starting point, often with 오다 (to come). So 미국에서 왔어요 says that you came from America. It is the same particle as the place of an action, with a different English translation.

Watch the verb 오다. With 에 it means "come to", as in 한국에 와요. With 에서 it means "come from", as in 한국에서 와요. In the past, 미국에서 왔어요 means I came from America.