The particles 한테 (hante) and 에게 (ege) mark recipients or indirect objects when the target is a person or animal. They both mean "to" (someone), but differ in formality and context.
Form
한테 (hante) - casual/spoken 에게 (ege) - formal/written
Both are invariable (don't change based on final sound).
Basic Function
Mark the recipient or target of an action—who receives, experiences, or is affected by something.
Translation: "to (someone)," "from (someone)"
Usage Examples
Giving/Receiving
Marking who receives something:
한테 (casual):
- 친구한테 선물을 줬어요. (Chingu-hante seonmul-eul jwosseoyo.) - Gave a gift to friend.
- 동생한테 책을 빌려줬어요. (Dongsaeng-hante chaeg-eul billyeojwosseoyo.) - Lent a book to sibling.
에게 (formal):
- 친구에게 선물을 줬어요. (Chingu-ege seonmul-eul jwosseoyo.) - Gave a gift to friend.
- 학생에게 조언을 했어요. (Haksaeng-ege joeon-eul haesseoyo.) - Gave advice to student.
Communication
Who you're talking to or asking:
한테:
- 선생님한테 물어봤어요. (Seonsaengnim-hante mureobwasseoyo.) - Asked teacher.
- 엄마한테 말했어요. (Eomma-hante malhaesseoyo.) - Told mom.
에게:
- 친구에게 편지를 썼어요. (Chingu-ege pyeonji-reul sseosseoyo.) - Wrote letter to friend.
- 부모님에게 감사드립니다. (Bumonim-ege gamsadeurimnida.) - Thank you to parents.
Source (From)
Can also indicate source/origin with certain verbs:
한테:
- 친구한테 들었어요. (Chingu-hante deureosseoyo.) - Heard from friend.
- 선생님한테 배웠어요. (Seonsaengnim-hante baewosseoyo.) - Learned from teacher.
에게:
- 편지를 친구에게 받았어요. (Pyeonji-reul chingu-ege badasseoyo.) - Received letter from friend.
한테 vs 에게
한테 (Casual/Spoken)
Formality: Casual, everyday conversation Usage: Daily conversation, text messages, casual writing
Common contexts:
- Talking about friends, family
- Casual speech
- Children speaking
- Informal storytelling
Examples:
- 친구한테 전화했어요. (Called friend.)
- 동생한테 물어봤어요. (Asked sibling.)
- 엄마한테 말했어요. (Told mom.)
에게 (Formal/Written)
Formality: Formal, written, literary Usage: News, books, formal speech, academic writing
Common contexts:
- Formal writing
- News articles
- Literature
- Official documents
- Formal presentations
Examples:
- 국민에게 알립니다. (Inform the citizens.)
- 독자에게 전하는 말 (Message to readers)
- 학생에게 조언했다. (Advised the student.)
Both Acceptable
In polite everyday speech, both work:
- 친구한테 줬어요. (Gave to friend - more casual)
- 친구에게 줬어요. (Gave to friend - more formal)
Choice depends on context and personal style.
Common Verbs with 한테/에게
Giving Verbs
- 주다 (to give) → 친구한테 줬어요
- 빌려주다 (to lend) → 동생한테 빌려줬어요
- 선물하다 (to gift) → 엄마한테 선물했어요
- 보내다 (to send) → 친구에게 보냈어요
Communication Verbs
- 말하다 (to speak/tell) → 선생님한테 말했어요
- 물어보다 (to ask) → 친구한테 물어봤어요
- 전화하다 (to call) → 엄마한테 전화했어요
- 쓰다 (to write) → 친구에게 편지를 썼어요
Teaching/Learning Verbs
- 가르치다 (to teach) → 학생에게 가르쳤어요
- 배우다 (to learn) → 선생님한테 배웠어요
- 알려주다 (to inform) → 친구한테 알려줬어요
Receiving Verbs
- 받다 (to receive) → 친구한테 받았어요
- 듣다 (to hear) → 선생님한테 들었어요
- 얻다 (to obtain) → 친구한테 얻었어요
With Different Recipients
People
Most common usage:
- 친구한테/에게 (to friend)
- 선생님한테/에게 (to teacher)
- 부모님한테/에게 (to parents)
Animals
Can use with pets and animals:
- 강아지한테 먹이를 줬어요. (Gave food to dog.)
- 고양이에게 우유를 줬어요. (Gave milk to cat.)
Note: For inanimate objects, use 에 instead.
Organizations/Groups
에게 is more common:
- 정부에게 요구했어요. (Demanded from government.)
- 회사에게 문의했어요. (Inquired to company.)
Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Give to Person
[Person + 한테/에게] + [Object + 을/를] + [주다]
- 친구한테 책을 줬어요. (Gave book to friend.)
- 동생에게 선물을 줬어요. (Gave gift to sibling.)
Pattern 2: Tell/Ask Person
[Person + 한테/에게] + [Communication Verb]
- 선생님한테 물어봤어요. (Asked teacher.)
- 친구에게 말했어요. (Told friend.)
Pattern 3: Receive from Person
[Person + 한테/에게] + [받다/듣다]
- 친구한테 받았어요. (Received from friend.)
- 선생님한테 들었어요. (Heard from teacher.)
Pattern 4: Learn from Person
[Person + 한테/에게] + [배우다/가르치다]
- 선생님한테 배웠어요. (Learned from teacher.)
- 학생에게 가르쳤어요. (Taught student.)
한테서 vs 에게서
For emphasizing source/origin, add 서:
한테서 (from - casual)
- 친구한테서 들었어요. (Heard from friend.)
- 엄마한테서 받았어요. (Received from mom.)
에게서 (from - formal)
- 친구에게서 편지가 왔어요. (Letter came from friend.)
- 부모님에게서 배웠어요. (Learned from parents.)
Usage: 한테서/에게서 emphasizes the source more explicitly than 한테/에게 alone.
Honorific Alternative: 께
When the recipient deserves respect, use 께 instead:
께 (honorific)
Used for elders, teachers, superiors:
- 할머니께 드렸어요. (Gave to grandmother.)
- 선생님께 여쭤봤어요. (Asked teacher.)
- 부모님께 말씀드렸어요. (Told parents.)
See "께 (kke)" article for detailed explanation.
Combination with Other Particles
한테도/에게도 (also to)
Adding 도 for "also to":
- 친구한테도 말했어요. (Also told friend.)
- 동생에게도 줬어요. (Also gave to sibling.)
한테만/에게만 (only to)
Adding 만 for "only to":
- 친구한테만 말했어요. (Told only friend.)
- 너에게만 줄게요. (Will give only to you.)
한테는/에게는 (contrastive topic)
Adding 는 for contrast:
- 친구한테는 말했어요. (To friend, I did tell.)
- 동생에게는 안 줬어요. (To sibling, I didn't give.)
Position in Sentence
Typically appears before the verb:
Standard position:
- 저는 친구한테 선물을 줬어요. (I gave gift to friend.)
Can be flexible:
- 선물을 저는 친구한테 줬어요. (Gift, I gave to friend.)
Particles clarify roles regardless of position.
Common Expressions
누구한테/에게 (nugu-hante/ege) - to whom
- 누구한테 줬어요? (To whom did you give it?)
나한테/내게 (na-hante/naege) - to me (casual) 저한테/제게 (jeo-hante/jege) - to me (polite)
너한테/네게 (neo-hante/nege) - to you (casual) 당신에게 (dangsin-ege) - to you (formal, rarely used)
Questions with 한테/에게
누구한테/에게
"To whom?":
- 누구한테 줬어요? (To whom did you give it?)
- 누구에게 물어봤어요? (Whom did you ask?)
Answer Pattern
- 친구한테 줬어요. (Gave to friend.)
- 선생님한테 물어봤어요. (Asked teacher.)
Special Uses
Expressing Feelings
With verbs expressing emotions:
- 친구한테 화났어요. (Got angry at friend.)
- 동생에게 미안해요. (Sorry to sibling.)
Expressing Existence
With 있다/없다 for possession from someone's perspective:
- 나한테 돈이 없어요. (I don't have money. / To me, money doesn't exist.)
- 친구한테 시간이 있어요? (Does friend have time?)
Comparison Summary
| Aspect | 한테 | 에게 |
|---|---|---|
| Formality | Casual | Formal |
| Usage | Spoken | Written |
| Context | Daily conversation | News, books, formal |
| Natural in | Speech | Writing |
Key Points
- ✅ 한테: Casual/spoken "to (person)"
- ✅ 에게: Formal/written "to (person)"
- ✅ Both mean: "To (someone)" or "from (someone)"
- ✅ Common with: Giving, telling, asking, learning verbs
- ✅ Can add 서: 한테서/에게서 for explicit "from"
- ✅ Honorific alternative: 께 for respected persons
- ✅ Used for: People and animals (not objects)
Understanding when to use 한테 vs 에게 helps you match formality to context. 한테 for casual conversation, 에게 for formal situations and writing.