How are the location marking particles ‘에’ and ‘에서’ different?

- Author: Isabella, Ilikekyu, Colleen, Rafaella, Marilene Turam, Jesca
- Editor: Good Job Korean team 

2 different location marking particles: ‘에’ vs ‘에서’

 Location marking particles ‘에’ and ‘에서’ can be attached after many different things such as location, time, industry, etc. But firstly, Let’s check out how ‘에’ and ‘에서’ are used differently when it is added after location.

 The location marking particles, ‘에’, and ‘에서’ play different roles in a sentence. The key point is that you need to check the verb and the context in the sentence in order to decide whether you put ‘에’ or ‘에서’.

- ‘에’ is put after a location as a destination.

 The location that uses ‘에’ always has to be a destination. So normally in that sentence, a verb that needs a destination is used such as ‘가다(to go)’, ‘오다(to come)’, ‘도착하다(to arrive)’.

For example,

학교에 가요.
I go to school.
*학교: school   *가다: to go

In this sentence, ‘학교(school)’ naturally becomes a destination because of the verb ‘가다(to go)’, so the location marker ‘에’ is added.

Then now, let’s look into ‘에서’

- ‘에서’ is put for a location where an action takes place.

Unlike ‘에’, if the verb(action) takes place in the location, you need to put ‘에서’ to the location.

Let’s take a look at this example.

Ex) 우린 공원에서 타코를 먹었어요.
I ate tacos at the park.
*공원: park   *먹다: to eat

As you can see, the action of eating occurs at the park. So, the location marking particle ‘에서’ is added to the ‘공원(park)’.

There are a few more uses of ‘에’ and ‘에서’. Let’s check it out!

3 other uses for ‘에’ and ‘에서’ (from, presence, time particle) 

- ‘에서’ contains the meaning of ‘from’.

Ex) 저는 이탈리아에서 왔어요.
I came from Italy.
*이탈리아: Italy

-‘에’ is put when the verbs indicate the presence of something or somebody.

Verbs such as 있다(to exist), 없다(to not exist), 많다(to be a lot), 적다(to be little), 살다(to live), indicate the presence of something or somebody. For these verbs, you put the location marker ‘에’.

Ex) 집에 사람이 있어요.
There is a person at home.
*집: home   *사람: person(singular)
Ex) 공원에 사람들이 많아요.
There are a lot of people in the park.
*공원: park   *사람: people(plural)

As you can see in the example sentences, the location marker ‘에’ is added after the location which indicates the presence of something or somebody.

- ‘에’ can also be used as a time particle. (in, at, on)

‘에’ can also be added after the time. It can be a little confusing, but think like ‘at, in, on’ in English can also be used for time. It will be helpful for you to understand with example sentences.

Ex) 저는 오후에 친구를 만났어요.
I met my friend in the afternoon.
*오후: afternoon, pm   *친구: friend   *만나다: to meet

Ex) 5시에 공부할 거예요.
I will study at 5 O’clock.

*시: hour   *공부하다: to study

Ex) 저는 주말에 항상 한국어를 공부해요.
I always study Korean on weekends.

*주말: weekend   *항상: always   *공부하다: to study

Example sentences.

Location particle ‘에’

- 내일 공원에 갈 거예요.  (destination)
  I will go to the park tomorrow.
*내일: tomorrow    *공원: park      *가다: to go

- 컵에 물이 있어요.  (presence)
  There is water in the cup.
*컵: cup       *물: water    

- 저녁에 약속이 있어요. (time particle)
  I have an appointment in the evening.
*저녁: evening   *약속: appointment

Location particle ‘에서’

- 저는 집에서 한국어 공부해요.   (where the action is taking place)
  I study Korean at home.
*공부하다: to study   *집: home   *한국어: Korean

- 저는 침대에서 자요.  (where the action is taking place)
  I sleep on the bed.
*침대: bed   *자요: to sleep

- 도서관에서 출발했어요.  (from the location)
  I departed from the library.
*도서관: library    *출발하다: to depart

- Author: Isabella, Ilikekyu, Colleen, Rafaella, Marilene Turam, Jesca
- Editor: Good Job Korean team