에 vs 에서 (e vs eseo): "at", "in", "to" and "from" in Korean

English uses "at" for many things: at home, at 3 o'clock, at the café. Korean has two words for this job. The verb tells you which one to use.

Both are particles. A particle is a small word ending that shows the role of a word in the sentence.

What is the easy test?

Ask one question: does an action happen in this place? Or is something just there, or going there?

• Something is there, goes to a place, or it is a time → 에
• An action happens there, or you start from there → 에서

Good news: these two particles never change their form. They look the same after a vowel and after a consonant. You don't need to check for a 받침 (final consonant).

What does each one do?

에 has three uses:

1. Where you go or come: 학교에 가요 ("I go to school"), 집에 와요 ("I come home").
2. Where something is: 고양이가 방에 있어요 ("The cat is in the room"), 화장실이 어디에 있어요? ("Where is the restroom?").
3. Time: 3시에 만나요 ("Let's meet at 3"). Also 월요일에 (on Monday), 아침에 (in the morning), 주말에 (on the weekend).

Verbs that use 에 are usually about moving or being somewhere: 가다 (go), 오다 (come), 다니다 (attend), 있다 (be there), 없다 (not be there).

에서 has two uses:

1. Where an action happens: 카페에서 공부해요 ("I study at a café"), 회사에서 일해요 ("I work at the company").
2. A starting point: 어디에서 왔어요? ("Where are you from?"), 집에서 출발해요 ("I leave from home").

In speech, 에서 often becomes short 서 after 여기 (here), 거기 (there), 저기 (over there) and 어디 (where). For example: 여기서 기다려요 ("Wait here"), 어디서 왔어요? ("Where are you from?").

Being there, or doing something there?

The test is simple. Are you just being there, or are you doing something there?

Look at the last two: one particle changes "to" into "from".

Here is a real chat between friends:

• A: 어디야? (eodiya?) — "Where are you?"
• B: 카페에 있어. 카페에서 과제 해. — "I'm at a café. I'm doing homework at the café."

It is the same café, but there are two particles. First B is at the café. Then B does something there.

Easy mistakes

• 도서관에 공부해요 is wrong. Studying is an action: 도서관에서 공부해요.
• 카페에서 있어요 is wrong. Being somewhere is not an action: 카페에 있어요.
• 오늘에 바빠요 is wrong. Say only 오늘 바빠요 ("I'm busy today"). See the section below.
• 에 for people is wrong. For "to a person", Korean uses 한테 (hante) or 에게 (ege): 친구한테 전화해요 ("I call a friend").

Some verbs have their own rules:

• 살다 (salda) — "to live" — works with both. 서울에 살아요 and 서울에서 살아요 are both natural.
• 앉다 [안따] (anda) — "to sit" — uses 에, because you sit on something: 의자에 앉아요 ("I sit on the chair").
• 도착하다 [도차카다] (dochakada) — "to arrive" — uses 에: 공항에 도착했어요 ("I arrived at the airport").

Why don't some time words use 에?

Some time words already work alone, like "today" in English. They don't need a particle.

• 오늘 (oneul) — today, 어제 (eoje) — yesterday, 내일 (naeil) — tomorrow, 지금 (jigeum) — now

So you say 내일 만나요 ("See you tomorrow"). Never say 내일에 만나요.

But clock times, days, months and parts of the day do use 에: 3시에 (at 3), 금요일에 (on Friday), 5월에 (in May), 저녁에 (in the evening). If English uses "at", "on" or "in" for a time, Korean usually uses 에.

This makes Korean simple here. English needs three words: at 3, on Friday, in May. Korean uses only one: 에.

Quick check

1. 공원___ 산책해요. (I take a walk in the park.) → an action: 공원에서
2. 지갑이 가방___ 있어요. (The wallet is in the bag.) → being there: 가방에
3. 7시___ 일어나요. (I get up at 7.) → time: 7시에