에서 (eseo): A Formal Guide to Korean “at/in” and “from”

Meta description: 에서 appears in Korean to mark the place where an action happens and the source or starting point of movement or change. This guide defines functions, contrasts it with 에, 부터, 에게서, and 으로부터, and presents original examples and error checks for English-speaking learners.

Definition and scope

에서 marks two core relations in Korean grammar. First, it marks the location where an action or event occurs. Second, it marks a source or starting point for movement, transfer, or causal change. The particle attaches to a noun and precedes the predicate without inflection. This article explains distribution, contrasts, and production patterns in a formal style. Examples are original and do not reproduce textbook sentences. The goal is stable usage in announcements, manuals, and academic writing.

Action location: “at / in” with dynamic predicates

Eventive verbs and processes

Writers select 에서 when the predicate encodes activity, change, or any dynamic process.

• 연구실에서 실험을 진행했습니다. — The experiment was conducted in the laboratory.
• 회의실에서 결정이 내려졌습니다. — A decision was reached in the meeting room.
• 도서관에서 이용자 교육을 실시했습니다. — User training was implemented in the library.

These predicates describe work, change, or organized events. The particle marks the active site of those processes.

Contrast with 에 for static state

에 marks static location, existence, or placement. The choice depends on the predicate’s semantics.

• 사무실에 직원이 있습니다. — A staff member is in the office. (existence)
• 사무실에서 보고서를 작성했습니다. — A report was prepared in the office. (activity)

Writers maintain this distinction in formal documents to avoid ambiguity about action versus state.

Source and starting point: “from / out of”

Movement and transfer

에서 marks the point of departure in movement and the origin in transfers. The target is marked with 으로/에 as needed.

• 창고에서 본사로 물품을 이동했습니다. — Goods were moved from the warehouse to headquarters.
• 서버에서 클라이언트로 응답이 전송되었습니다. — A response was transmitted from the server to the client.

Causal and material source

Writers also use 에서 to show origin in cause or material.

• 데이터에서 오류가 발견되었습니다. — Errors were found in the data.
• 설문 결과에서 유의한 차이가 확인되었습니다. — A significant difference was confirmed from the survey results.

Range frames with 부터 and 까지

Start–end templates

에서 pairs with 까지 or with 부터 … 까지 to present spatial or temporal spans. Policy and schedule text favors explicit framing.

• 서울역에서 공항까지 약 50분이 소요됩니다. — It takes about 50 minutes from Seoul Station to the airport.
• 9시부터 6시까지 문의를 받습니다. — Inquiries are accepted from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

부터 is specialized for starting time points. For places, 에서 remains common and natural.

Human source: 에게서 / 으로부터와의 대비

Polite source marking

When the source is a person or institution, 에게서 or 으로부터 provides clarity and a slightly more formal register than bare 에서.

• 담당자에게서 안내를 받았습니다. — Guidance was received from the person in charge.
• 기관으로부터 승인을 받았습니다. — Approval was received from the institution.

에서 with a person noun is acceptable in conversation but is avoided in careful writing where human source marking is desired.

에서 vs. 로 with movement

Origin vs. direction

에서 states the point of origin, and 으로 states direction or destination. Both may co-occur for clarity.

• 역에서 학교로 이동했습니다. — Movement occurred from the station to the school.

Writers ensure that origin and direction are not conflated in instructions and logistics notices.

From context to inference: results “from” evidence

Analytical writing

Academic and technical prose often infers findings “from” data using 에서.

• 표본에서 얻은 추정치는 신뢰구간을 충족했습니다. — The estimate obtained from the sample met the confidence interval.
• 로그 기록에서 원인을 특정했습니다. — The cause was identified from the log records.

Frequent learner errors and corrections

Confusing 에 and 에서

Error: 사무실에서 직원이 있습니다. 

Fix: 사무실에 직원이 있습니다. The predicate is existential, so 에 is required.

Omitting the target of movement

Error: 창고에서 이동했습니다.

Fix: 창고에서 전시장으로 이동했습니다. Formal writing states both origin and destination when relevant.

Using 에서 for human source in formal tone

Error: 고객에서 의견을 받았습니다.

Fix: 고객에게서 의견을 받았습니다. Human source is marked with 에게서 in careful prose.

Stacking with case in the wrong order

Error: 회사의에서 발표했습니다.

Fix: 회사에서 발표했습니다 / 회사에서의 발표였습니다. Possessive 의 either shifts to an attributive noun phrase (회사에서의 발표) or is omitted when directly marking location.

Combinations and extended forms

에서의 for attributive modification

에서의 converts the adverbial relation into an attributive phrase.

• 현장 회의에서의 합의사항을 기록했습니다. — Items agreed at the on-site meeting were recorded.

This pattern is common in minutes and reports where the event location modifies a following noun.

에서부터 for emphasis on the starting boundary

에서부터 emphasizes the boundary and is natural in speech and in emphatic instructions.

• 입구에서부터 대기 줄을 형성하십시오. — Form the queue starting from the entrance.

Many documents omit 부터 and keep 에서 alone unless emphasis is needed.

Testing and production practice

Translate into Korean with 에서 or 에

• The seminar was held in the main hall. → 본관 홀에서 세미나를 진행했습니다.
• A printer is in the copy room. → 복사실에 프린터가 있습니다.
• We moved files from the archive to the working folder. → 보관함에서 작업 폴더로 파일을 이동했습니다.

Rewrite for human source

• 직원에서 의견을 받았습니다 → 직원에게서 의견을 받았습니다.

Frame a full route

• 출발점과 도착점을 모두 표기하십시오. 예: 시청에서 전시장까지 셔틀을 운행합니다.

Conclusion

에서 marks activity sites and sources in a compact form. Writers contrast it with 에 to separate action from existence. For routes and schedules, 에서 … 까지 or 에서 … 으로 produces explicit logistics. For human or institutional origins, 에게서 and 으로부터 provide polite precision. Consistent application of these patterns improves readability and prevents structural errors in formal Korean texts.