7.7. Particles of Direction: to and from

Corresponding to English to are the particle 에 for places and 한테 (or also 에게) for living things:

• 은행에 가요
  goes to the bank
• 공원에 가요
  goes to the park
• 내 친구한테(or 내 친구에게 ) 줘요
  gives it to my friend
• 만호씨한테(or 만호씨에게 ) 줘요
  gives it to Manho

From is expressed by the same particles with 서 after them (sometimes the original particle is omitted, and you can simply say 서. You can do this when you want to say from (a place)):

• 은행에서(or 은행서 ) 학교에 가요
  Goes from the bank to school.
• 식당에서(or 식당서 )
  from the cafeteria.

To express from with living things, you do the same thing you do to express from with non-living things: add 서 to the directional/locational particle:

• 내 친구한테서(or 내 친구에게서 )
  from my friend
• 만호씨한테서(or 만호씨에게서 )
  from Manho

However, colloquial Korean allows you to use 한테 (or 에게) without 서 in the sense of from (a person):

3. A. 한국말은 누구한테 배워요?
   Who are you learning Korean from?
   B. 한국사람한테 배워요.
   I’m learning from a Korean

Here are some example sentences:

4. A. 편지는 누구한테서 와요?
   Who do you get letters from?
   B. 어머니한테서 와요.
   From my mother
5. 학생이 선생에게서 책을 받아요.
   The student receives a book from the teacher.

Finally, here is a chart to help you keep these various meanings and particles straight:

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