KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -에게/-한테
Korean Grammar “-에게/-한테”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 1)
How to attach it
This particle does not change: it attaches to every noun in the same way, whatever the last sound is.
| Korean | Meaning | With the particle | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 엄마 | mom | 엄마에게 / 엄마한테 | eommaege / eommahante |
| 동생 | younger sibling | 동생에게 / 동생한테 | dongsaengege / dongsaenghante |
| 손님 | guest, customer | 손님에게 / 손님한테 | sonnimege / sonnimhante |
Explanation
저는 친구에게 선물을 줬어요.
“-에게” attaches to a person or animal and means “to.” In speech, “-한테” is used just as often. The sentence means “I gave my friend a present.” “에서” marks a place, so it cannot be attached to a person here.
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 저는 친구에게 선물을 줬어요.
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 저는 | ||
| 저 | ㅈ+ㅓ | jeo |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 친구에게 | ||
| 친 | ㅊ+ㅣ+ㄴ | chin |
| 구 | ㄱ+ㅜ | gu |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | e |
| 게 | ㄱ+ㅔ | ge |
| 선물을 | ||
| 선 | ㅅ+ㅓ+ㄴ | seon |
| 물 | ㅁ+ㅜ+ㄹ | [무] mu |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [를] reul |
| 줬어요 | ||
| 줬 | ㅈ+ㅝ+ㅆ | [줘] jwo |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [써] sseo |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 물을 → [무를]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 선물 | noun | gift | TOPIK level 1 |
| 주다 | verb | to give | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 저는 친구____ 선물을 줬어요.
Show the answer
Answer: 저는 친구에게 선물을 줬어요.
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