~에게 is a particle used to indicate the recipient of an action, specifically when that recipient is a person or an animal. Think of it like saying 'to' someone in English. It attaches directly to the end of the noun referring to the person or animal receiving the action. For example, if you want to say 'I gave a gift to my friend,' you would use ~에게 after 'friend'. This particle helps to clarify who is receiving the action in a sentence.
When you want to say that an action is directed 'to' a person, you use the particle ~에게 (ege). Think of it like saying 'to [person]' in English.
For example, you could say '저는 친구에게 말해요' (jeoneun chingu-ege malhaeyo), which means 'I speak to my friend'.
You attach ~에게 directly to the end of the person's name or title.
This particle is used when the person is receiving the action of the verb.
§ What does it mean and when do people use it?
The Korean particle ~에게 (ege) is a super useful one you'll encounter a lot. It basically means 'to a person' and is used to show who the recipient of an action is. Think of it like saying 'to' or 'for' when the receiver is a human or an animal. You attach it directly after the noun that represents the person or animal receiving the action. It's a fundamental particle for making your Korean sentences clear about who is doing what to whom.
You'll use ~에게 when you're talking about giving something to someone, telling something to someone, sending something to someone, or any action where a person is the direct receiver. It's one of those particles that helps you properly structure your sentences and avoid confusion. Without it, it can be unclear who is receiving the action.
- DEFINITION
- To a person; indicates the recipient of an action.
Let's look at some examples to get a better grasp of how ~에게 works in real sentences. Pay attention to how it always follows the noun that is the recipient.
저는 친구에게 책을 줬어요.
This sentence means: I gave a book to my friend. Here, 친구 (chingu - friend) is the recipient of the action 'gave,' and ~에게 clearly marks that.
선생님에게 질문했어요.
This translates to: I asked a question to the teacher. 선생님 (seonsaengnim - teacher) is the one receiving the question.
저는 엄마에게 전화했어요.
Meaning: I called my mom. 엄마 (eomma - mom) is the recipient of the call.
So, to summarize, ~에게 is your go-to particle when you need to specify a person or animal as the receiver of an action. It's clear, direct, and essential for building correct Korean sentences. Keep practicing with these kinds of examples, and you'll get the hang of it in no time!
- Remember that ~에게 attaches directly to the noun.
- It is used when the recipient is a person or an animal.
- It can often be translated as 'to' or 'for' in English.
Mastering these basic particles is key to speaking and understanding Korean effectively. Don't worry if it feels a bit tricky at first; consistency in practice will make it second nature.
How Formal Is It?
"선생님께 질문이 있습니다. (I have a question for the teacher.)"
"동생에게 선물을 줬어요. (I gave a present to my younger sibling.)"
"친구한테 말했어. (I told my friend.)"
Aussprachehilfe
- Confusing with ~에 when the recipient is not a person.
- Mispronouncing the '애' vowel.
Beispiele nach Niveau
저는 친구에게 말해요.
I speak to my friend.
선생님은 학생에게 책을 줘요.
The teacher gives a book to the student.
저는 엄마에게 전화해요.
I call my mom.
아빠는 아이에게 장난감을 사 줘요.
Dad buys a toy for the child.
저는 동생에게 편지를 써요.
I write a letter to my younger sibling.
그는 나에게 질문해요.
He asks me a question.
누나는 오빠에게 선물을 줘요.
My older sister gives a gift to my older brother.
저는 할머니에게 인사해요.
I greet my grandmother.
저의 오랜 친구에게 깜짝 선물을 주었어요.
I gave a surprise gift to my old friend.
선생님은 학생들에게 중요한 공지사항을 전달했습니다.
The teacher delivered an important announcement to the students.
그는 부모님에게 매일 안부 전화를 드립니다.
He calls his parents every day to check in.
회사 동료에게 업무 관련 조언을 구했어요.
I asked a colleague for work-related advice.
저는 제 자신에게 더 많은 시간을 투자해야 한다고 생각해요.
I think I need to invest more time in myself.
그는 모든 사람들에게 친절하게 대합니다.
He treats everyone kindly.
이 이야기는 우리 모두에게 깊은 교훈을 줍니다.
This story gives a deep lesson to all of us.
저는 친구에게 저의 고민을 털어놓았습니다.
I confided my worries to my friend.
Redewendungen & Ausdrücke
"친구에게 주다"
To give to a friend
저는 친구에게 선물을 줬어요. (I gave a present to my friend.)
neutral"엄마에게 말하다"
To tell mom
저는 엄마에게 비밀을 말했어요. (I told a secret to my mom.)
neutral"선생님에게 질문하다"
To ask a teacher a question
학생이 선생님에게 질문했어요. (The student asked a question to the teacher.)
formal"동생에게 책을 읽어주다"
To read a book to a younger sibling
누나가 동생에게 책을 읽어줬어요. (The older sister read a book to her younger sibling.)
neutral"누구에게 전화하다"
To call someone
저는 친구에게 전화했어요. (I called my friend.)
neutral"사장님에게 보고하다"
To report to the boss
직원이 사장님에게 상황을 보고했어요. (The employee reported the situation to the boss.)
formal"아이에게 장난감을 주다"
To give a toy to a child
아빠가 아이에게 장난감을 줬어요. (The dad gave a toy to the child.)
neutral"친구에게 편지를 쓰다"
To write a letter to a friend
저는 친구에게 편지를 썼어요. (I wrote a letter to my friend.)
neutral"부모님에게 감사하다"
To be grateful to parents
저는 부모님에게 항상 감사해요. (I am always grateful to my parents.)
neutral"손님에게 인사하다"
To greet a guest
직원이 손님에게 인사했어요. (The employee greeted the guest.)
neutralWortfamilie
Substantive
Verben
So verwendest du es
~에게 is a particle used after a person (or animal) to indicate they are the recipient of an action. It's like 'to' in English when you're giving something to someone or saying something to someone. For example, 'I give a gift to my friend.' In Korean, you'd attach ~에게 to 'friend.'
A common mistake is confusing ~에게 with ~에. While both can mean 'to,' ~에 is used for inanimate objects or locations, not people or animals. Remember, ~에게 is specifically for living beings receiving an action.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenBoth ~에게 and ~한테 mean 'to a person' and are used to indicate the recipient of an action. They are generally interchangeable in most situations. However, ~한테 is considered slightly more colloquial and is often used in casual conversation, while ~에게 can be used in both formal and informal contexts. You'll hear ~한테 more often in everyday speech.
No, you cannot use ~에게 with inanimate objects. It specifically indicates the recipient of an action for a person or an animal. For inanimate objects, you would typically use particles like ~에 (for location) or ~으로/로 (for direction or means).
~에게 always attaches directly to the noun or pronoun that is the recipient of the action. It comes after the person or animal who is receiving something or to whom something is being done.
Generally, no, ~에게 is not optional when you want to clearly indicate the recipient of an action. Omitting it would make the sentence grammatically incorrect or unclear about who is receiving the action.
No, the particle ~에게 itself does not change based on politeness levels. The politeness of your sentence will be conveyed through the verb endings you use.
Yes, many verbs that involve giving, telling, sending, or teaching to someone will naturally use ~에게. Some common examples include:
• 주다 (to give)
• 말하다 (to speak/tell)
• 보내다 (to send)
• 가르치다 (to teach)
• 묻다 (to ask)
Yes, you can. While it's common with verbs of giving, ~에게 also applies to actions directed 'to' a person. For example, if you're talking 'to' someone or writing 'to' someone, ~에게 would be used.
~에게 indicates the recipient of an action (to a person/animal). ~에서 indicates the starting point or location where an action occurs (from/at a place). They have very different functions.
The basic structure is: [Subject] [Recipient]에게 [Action/Verb].
For example:
• 저는 친구에게 선물을 줬어요. (I gave a present to my friend.)
• 엄마에게 전화했어요. (I called Mom.)
Yes, you can use ~에게 for animals as well. For example, you could say:
• 강아지에게 밥을 줬어요. (I gave food to the dog.)
Teste dich selbst 66 Fragen
Write a short sentence saying 'I give a present to my friend.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
저는 친구에게 선물을 줍니다.
Write a short sentence saying 'I sent a letter to my mother.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
저는 어머니에게 편지를 보냈습니다.
Write a short sentence saying 'I talked to my teacher.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
저는 선생님에게 이야기했습니다.
Who received the book?
Read this passage:
저는 동생에게 책을 줬어요. 동생은 기뻤어요. 저는 동생을 사랑해요.
Who received the book?
The passage states '저는 동생에게 책을 줬어요.' which means 'I gave a book to my younger sibling.'
The passage states '저는 동생에게 책을 줬어요.' which means 'I gave a book to my younger sibling.'
What did I do to my grandmother?
Read this passage:
저는 할머니에게 전화했어요. 할머니는 저를 반가워했어요. 우리는 이야기했어요.
What did I do to my grandmother?
The passage states '저는 할머니에게 전화했어요.' which means 'I called my grandmother.'
The passage states '저는 할머니에게 전화했어요.' which means 'I called my grandmother.'
What will I give to my friend?
Read this passage:
저는 친구에게 선물을 줄 거예요. 친구는 한국 사람이에요. 우리는 영화를 볼 거예요.
What will I give to my friend?
The passage states '저는 친구에게 선물을 줄 거예요.' which means 'I will give a present to my friend.'
The passage states '저는 친구에게 선물을 줄 거예요.' which means 'I will give a present to my friend.'
This sentence means 'I gave a present to my friend.' '저는' is 'I', '친구에게' is 'to my friend', '선물을' is 'a present (object)', and '줬어요' is 'gave'.
This sentence means 'Please ask the teacher.' '선생님에게' is 'to the teacher' and '질문하세요' is 'please ask'.
This sentence means 'I called my mother.' '저는' is 'I', '어머니에게' is 'to my mother', and '전화했어요' is 'called'.
Choose the correct particle to complete the sentence: 저는 엄마___ 선물을 드렸어요.
~에게 is used to indicate the recipient of the gift (엄마 - mom).
Which sentence correctly uses ~에게?
~에게 is used with animate nouns (동생 - younger sibling) to show the recipient of the action (writing a letter).
Fill in the blank: 저는 친구___ 말했어요.
~에게 is used with animate nouns (친구 - friend) to show who was spoken to.
The particle ~에게 can be used with inanimate objects.
~에게 is exclusively used with people or animate nouns to indicate the recipient of an action.
If you want to say 'I gave flowers to my girlfriend,' you should use ~에게 with 'girlfriend'.
~에게 correctly indicates the recipient (girlfriend) of the flowers.
You can use ~에게 to say 'I went to the park'.
~에게 is for recipients of actions, not destinations. For destinations, particles like ~에 or ~으로 are used.
Write a sentence saying 'I sent a letter to my grandmother.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
저는 할머니에게 편지를 보냈어요.
Write a sentence saying 'My older brother gave money to his younger sister.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
오빠가 여동생에게 돈을 줬어요.
Write a sentence saying 'The student asked a question to the teacher.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
학생이 선생님에게 질문했어요.
민지는 누구에게 이메일을 썼나요?
Read this passage:
민지는 친구에게 이메일을 썼어요. 친구는 민지에게 답장을 보냈어요. 그들은 주말에 만날 거예요.
민지는 누구에게 이메일을 썼나요?
The passage states '민지는 친구에게 이메일을 썼어요.' (Minji wrote an email to her friend.)
The passage states '민지는 친구에게 이메일을 썼어요.' (Minji wrote an email to her friend.)
이 사람은 누구에게 선물을 사줬나요?
Read this passage:
저는 동생에게 선물을 사줬어요. 동생은 정말 좋아했어요. 다음에는 엄마에게도 선물을 살 거예요.
이 사람은 누구에게 선물을 사줬나요?
The passage says '저는 동생에게 선물을 사줬어요.' (I bought a present for my younger sibling.)
The passage says '저는 동생에게 선물을 사줬어요.' (I bought a present for my younger sibling.)
아들은 누구에게 용돈을 받았나요?
Read this passage:
아버지는 아들에게 용돈을 주셨어요. 아들은 아버지에게 감사하다고 말했어요. 그 돈으로 책을 살 거예요.
아들은 누구에게 용돈을 받았나요?
The passage states '아버지는 아들에게 용돈을 주셨어요.' (Father gave pocket money to his son.)
The passage states '아버지는 아들에게 용돈을 주셨어요.' (Father gave pocket money to his son.)
You are writing a thank-you note to your Korean friend, Minji, who helped you with your Korean studies. Write a short paragraph thanking her and explaining how her help made a difference. Use '~에게' at least once.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
민지에게, 한국어 공부를 도와줘서 정말 고마워. 네 덕분에 한국어 실력이 많이 늘었어. 항상 친절하게 가르쳐줘서 너무 감사해.
Describe a situation where you had to explain a complex topic to someone. Write 2-3 sentences, using '~에게' to indicate the person you were explaining to.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
어제는 동료에게 새로운 프로젝트의 복잡한 구조를 설명해야 했다. 다행히 그는 잘 이해해 주었다. 나중에 친구에게도 간략하게 요약해 주었다.
Imagine you are giving advice to a younger sibling about their future career. Write a short message (2-3 sentences) using '~에게' to address your sibling.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
사랑하는 동생에게, 네가 어떤 직업을 선택하든 항상 네 열정을 따라가렴. 그리고 스스로에게 믿음을 가져. 나는 항상 너를 응원할 거야.
누구에게 새로운 교통 정책이 발표되었습니까?
Read this passage:
서울 시민들에게 새로운 교통 정책이 발표되었습니다. 이 정책은 대중교통 이용을 장려하고, 자가용 이용을 줄이는 것을 목표로 합니다. 많은 시민들이 이 정책에 대해 다양한 의견을 내놓고 있습니다.
누구에게 새로운 교통 정책이 발표되었습니까?
지문에 '서울 시민들에게 새로운 교통 정책이 발표되었습니다'라고 명시되어 있습니다.
지문에 '서울 시민들에게 새로운 교통 정책이 발표되었습니다'라고 명시되어 있습니다.
교수님은 누구에게 보고서 제출을 지시했습니까?
Read this passage:
교수님은 학생들에게 다음 주까지 보고서를 제출하라고 지시했습니다. 보고서의 주제는 자유이며, 분량은 A4 용지 5장 이내여야 합니다. 몇몇 학생들은 이미 보고서 작성을 시작했습니다.
교수님은 누구에게 보고서 제출을 지시했습니까?
지문에 '교수님은 학생들에게 다음 주까지 보고서를 제출하라고 지시했습니다'라고 명시되어 있습니다.
지문에 '교수님은 학생들에게 다음 주까지 보고서를 제출하라고 지시했습니다'라고 명시되어 있습니다.
누구에게 생일 선물을 주었습니까?
Read this passage:
친구에게 생일 선물을 주기 위해 백화점에 들렀다. 어떤 선물이 좋을지 고민하다가, 결국 그의 취향에 맞는 책을 골랐다. 친구는 선물을 받고 매우 기뻐했다.
누구에게 생일 선물을 주었습니까?
지문에 '친구에게 생일 선물을 주기 위해 백화점에 들렀다'라고 명시되어 있습니다.
지문에 '친구에게 생일 선물을 주기 위해 백화점에 들렀다'라고 명시되어 있습니다.
다음 중 '~에게'의 사용이 올바르지 않은 문장은?
'~에게'는 사람이나 살아있는 존재에게 사용되며, 장소에는 사용하지 않습니다. 장소에는 '~에'를 사용합니다.
문맥상 '~에게'가 가장 적절하게 사용된 문장을 고르세요.
'~에게'는 동사가 나타내는 행위의 대상이 되는 사람이나 살아있는 존재를 나타냅니다. '충고하다'의 대상은 사람이어야 합니다.
다음 대화에서 빈칸에 들어갈 가장 적절한 표현은? 'A: 이 소식을 누구 ___ 알려야 할까요? B: 팀장님 ___ 알려주세요.'
알리는 행위의 대상이 '누구'와 '팀장님'이라는 사람 명사이므로, 둘 다 '~에게'를 사용하는 것이 적절합니다.
'그는 고양이에게 밥을 주었다'는 문장에서 '~에게'는 행위의 대상을 나타낸다.
'밥을 주다'라는 행위의 대상이 '고양이'이기 때문에 '~에게'가 올바르게 사용되었습니다. 고양이는 살아있는 존재로 간주됩니다.
'나는 버스에게 탔다'는 문장은 문법적으로 올바르다.
버스는 사물이기 때문에 '~에게'를 사용할 수 없습니다. '나는 버스에 탔다'가 올바른 표현입니다.
'~에게'는 주로 동물이 아닌 사람에게만 사용할 수 있다.
'~에게'는 사람뿐만 아니라 고양이, 강아지 등 살아있는 동물에게도 사용될 수 있습니다.
He confessed a secret to his friend.
The professor asked difficult questions to the students.
Father gave flowers to Mother.
Read this aloud:
저는 부모님에게 감사하는 마음을 표현하고 싶어요.
Focus: 표현하고 싶어요
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
회의록을 동료들에게 이메일로 보냈습니다.
Focus: 보냈습니다
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
그녀는 저에게 큰 영감을 주었어요.
Focus: 영감을 주었어요
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence means 'The teacher taught Korean to the students.' The particle '~에게' is attached to '학생들' (students) to indicate they are the recipients of the teaching action.
This sentence means 'He told a secret to his friend.' '~에게' is attached to '친구' (friend) as the recipient of the telling.
This sentence means 'I wrote a letter to my parents.' '께' is the honorific form of '에게' and is used with '부모님' (parents) to show respect.
Choose the most natural sentence using '~에게' in a formal context.
While all options use '~에게' correctly in a general sense, '교수님에게 질문이 있습니다.' is the most appropriate for a C2 level focusing on nuanced formality, as addressing a professor typically requires a higher level of respect reflected in formal speech.
Which sentence correctly demonstrates the use of '~에게' when the recipient is a group of people?
'~에게' can be used for both singular and plural recipients. This option clearly shows its application to a group ('모든 직원' - all employees), which is a common usage at higher proficiency levels.
Select the sentence where '~에게' is used metaphorically or in a less direct sense than simply indicating a physical recipient.
At a C2 level, understanding the metaphorical extension of particles is crucial. Here, '어려움' (difficulty) is not a physical recipient, but '~에게' is used to express the direction of an abstract action (giving hope).
In a highly formal written context, using '~께' instead of '~에게' to a superior is always optional.
While '~에게' is generally acceptable, at C2 level, learners should know that '~께' is often obligatory when addressing superiors or elders in very formal or honorific contexts, especially in writing, to show appropriate respect. It is not always optional.
When referring to an animal as the recipient of an action, '~에게' and '~한테' are always interchangeable without any difference in nuance.
While both '~에게' and '~한테' can be used for animals, '~한테' is generally considered more casual or colloquial. At C2, understanding these subtle differences in nuance is important. Therefore, they are not 'always' interchangeable without any difference.
The particle '~에게' can be used to indicate the source or origin of an action when combined with verbs like '듣다' (to hear) or '배우다' (to learn).
This is a common C2-level understanding of '~에게'. While primarily indicating a recipient, it can indeed signify the source from which one hears or learns something, for example, '선생님에게서 들었어요' (I heard it from the teacher) or '선생님에게 배웠어요' (I learned it from the teacher). The '에서' can be omitted, leaving just '에게' in such contexts.
She confided a secret to her friend.
The teacher explained the assignment to the students.
I call my parents every day.
Read this aloud:
저는 제 자신에게 끊임없이 질문을 던집니다.
Focus: 던집니다 (deon-jim-ni-da)
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
당신은 어려운 상황에 처한 사람들에게 어떻게 대처하나요?
Focus: 대처하나요 (dae-cheo-ha-na-yo)
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
그는 모든 사람들에게 공평하게 기회를 주려고 노력했다.
Focus: 기회를 주려고 (gi-hoe-reul ju-ryeo-go)
Du hast gesagt:
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This sentence means 'The teacher teaches Korean to the students.' The particle '~에게' is attached to '학생들' (students) to indicate they are the recipients of the action '가르치다' (to teach).
This sentence means 'I lent a book to my friend.' The particle '~에게' is attached to '친구' (friend) to indicate they are the recipient of the action '빌려주다' (to lend).
This sentence means 'Mom feeds the child.' The particle '~에게' is attached to '아이' (child) to indicate they are the recipient of the action '먹이다' (to feed).
/ 66 correct
Perfect score!
Beispiel
선생님에게 질문을 했습니다.
Verwandte Inhalte
Mehr general Wörter
몇몇
A2An unspecified small number of; some or a few.
조금
A1A little/a bit
적게
A1A little / Few
약간
A2A little; slightly; somewhat.
많이
A1A lot/much
잠시
A2For a moment; briefly.
잠깐
A2For a short time; a moment.
아까
A2A little while ago, earlier.
대해
A2About, concerning.
~에 대해서
A2Concerning or regarding a particular subject; about.
