으로부터 (eurobuteo): A Formal Guide to Korean “from / originating in” 

Description: 으로부터 marks a formal source or origin in Korean. This guide defines its functions, contrasts it with 에서, 에게서, and 부터, shows stacking with case particles, and presents original examples, error notes, and practice tasks for English-speaking learners.

Definition and scope

으로부터 functions as a postposition that marks a source, origin, or provider. It corresponds to formal English phrases such as “from,” “coming from,” or “originating in.” It typically appears with human or institutional nouns, information sources, and causal origins. It reads more formal than bare 에서 and aligns well with announcements, manuals, academic prose, and policy language. This article defines distribution, contrasts it with neighboring forms, and presents original examples suitable for English-speaking learners.

Form and selection rule

Alternation: 으로부터 vs. 로부터

The sequence follows the regular (으)로 rule. After a vowel-final noun or a noun ending in ㄹ, the particle surfaces as 로부터; otherwise it surfaces as 으로부터.

• 회사로부터 승인을 받았습니다. — Approval was received from the company.
• 연구실로부터 장비를 지원받았습니다. — Equipment support was received from the laboratory.
• 정부기관으로부터 허가를 취득했습니다. — A permit was obtained from a government body.

The alternation improves phonological flow and does not change meaning. Writers keep the form consistent with the noun ending for clean formal style.

Core meanings and usage domains

Human or institutional source

으로부터 explicitly marks a sender, grantor, or responsible body in formal statements.

• 고객사로부터 요청을 접수했습니다. — A request was received from the client company.
• 감사팀으로부터 확인서를 전달받았습니다. — A verification letter was delivered from the audit team.

Information or evidence origin

Technical and academic prose use it to label the provenance of data, signals, or documentation.

• 센서 로그로부터 이상 패턴을 추출했습니다. — Anomalies were extracted from the sensor logs.
• 문헌 검토로부터 기준 모델을 도출했습니다. — A baseline model was derived from the literature review.

Causal or material origin

Writers may present cause, material, or stimulus as the source of an effect.

• 고온 환경으로부터 발생한 손상을 보고했습니다. — Damage originating from high-temperature conditions was reported.
• 실제 사례로부터 교훈을 정리했습니다. — Lessons were organized from real cases.

Contrast with neighboring markers

으로부터 vs. 에서

에서 can also mean “from,” but it is broader and less formal, covering action location as well. Use 으로부터 when the sentence needs a clear, formal source rather than an activity site.

• 서버에서 응답이 왔습니다. — A response came from the server. (neutral/technical)
• 서버 운영팀으로부터 공지를 받았습니다. — A notice was received from the server operations team. (formal source)

으로부터 vs. 에게서

에게서 marks a human source politely but reads slightly less formal than 으로부터. In policy text and contracts, 으로부터 is often preferred for institutional tone.

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

으로부터 vs. 부터 (time)

부터 marks a temporal starting point. Do not substitute 으로부터 for pure time expressions.

• 오늘부터 신청을 받습니다. — Applications are accepted starting today.
• 예산은 외부 재원으로부터 확보했습니다. — The budget was secured from external funding. (source, not time)

Stacking and placement patterns

Object–source pattern with 받다/전달되다

Formal reporting often uses “Object + 을/를 + N + 으로부터 + 받다/전달받다/인정받다.”

• 확인서를 본부로부터 전달받았습니다. — The certificate was received from headquarters.
• 보조금을 지방자치단체로부터 지원받았습니다. — A subsidy was supported by the local government.

Topic and focus

For emphasis, the source phrase can be topicalized with 은/는.

• 외부 파트너로부터는 추가 요청이 없었습니다. — There were no additional requests from external partners.

Attributive conversion: 에서의 vs. 로부터의

To modify a following noun, use 로부터의 to keep the “from-source” meaning explicit.

• 후원자로부터의 기부 내역을 공개했습니다. — Donation records from sponsors were disclosed.

Register guidance for writers

When formal precision is required

Use 으로부터 with approvals, notifications, attestations, and transfers that must identify a responsible party.

• 감독기관으로부터 시정 요구를 받았습니다. — A corrective action request was received from the supervisory authority.

When plain location suffices

Use 에서 for action sites or casual “from” in everyday descriptions to avoid stiffness.

• 창구에서 번호표를 받았습니다. — A number ticket was taken at the counter.

Frequent learner errors and corrections

Do not use 으로부터 for time-start meaning

Error: *오늘으로부터 접수합니다.* Fix: 오늘부터 접수합니다. Time starts take 부터, not 으로부터.

Omitting the alternation

Error: *회사으로부터* after a vowel-final noun. Fix: 회사로부터. Apply the (으)로 alternation rule.

Overusing 에서 for formal sources

Error: *기관에서 승인을 받았습니다.* (acceptable but less formal). Fix: 기관으로부터 승인을 받았습니다. Use 으로부터 for a formal source in documents.

Ambiguous stacking with case markers

Error: *기관의으로부터 통보를 받았습니다.* Fix: 기관으로부터 통보를 받았습니다 / 기관으로부터의 통보를 받았습니다 (attributive form).

Set phrases and formal collocations

Administrative and legal contexts

• 기관으로부터 인가를 받았습니다. — Authorization was received from the authority.
• 저작권자로부터 이용 허락을 취득했습니다. — Permission to use was obtained from the copyright holder.
• 이사회로부터 위임을 받았습니다. — A delegation was received from the board.

Academic and technical contexts

• 실험 데이터로부터 추세를 도출했습니다. — A trend was derived from the experimental data.
• 관측치로부터 매개변수를 추정했습니다. — Parameters were estimated from observations.

Production patterns you can reuse

Policy statements

• N으로부터 + 통지/승인/지시/요청 + 을/를 + 받다/수령하다/전달받다
• 외부 기관으로부터 수집한 정보는 암호화했습니다. — Information collected from external bodies was encrypted.

Reporting language

• N으로부터 + 영향/영감/자극 + 을/를 + 받다/확인하다
• 사용자 피드백으로부터 우선순위를 재조정했습니다. — Priorities were re-aligned from user feedback.

Practice: original tasks

Task 1 — Translate into Korean using 으로부터/로부터

1. We received an official reply from the embassy. → 대사관으로부터 공식 회신을 받았습니다.
2. Funding was secured from two private foundations. → 두 민간 재단으로부터 자금을 확보했습니다.
3. Key insights were drawn from the interview notes. → 인터뷰 기록으로부터 핵심 인사이트를 도출했습니다.

Task 2 — Choose between 에서 / 에게서 / 으로부터

1. ( ) 공지를 받았습니다. [IT Operations Team] → IT 운영팀으로부터
2. ( ) 안내를 받았습니다. [Mr. Park, person] → 박 씨에게서
3. ( ) 오류가 발생했습니다. [server, location of action] → 서버에서

Task 3 — Repair the sentence

1. *오늘으로부터 신청 가능* → 오늘부터 신청 가능합니다. (time start)
2. *협력사에서 승인 받음* → 협력사로부터 승인을 받았습니다. (formal source)
3. *정부의로부터 통보* → 정부로부터 통보를 받았습니다. (remove extraneous 의)

Conclusion

으로부터 marks a formal and explicit source in Korean. It contrasts with 에서 by focusing on provenance rather than activity site and with 부터 by avoiding temporal meaning. It pairs naturally with verbs such as 받다, 전달되다, 인정받다, and 도출하다 in administrative, academic, and technical writing. Consistent application of the alternation rule, accurate register selection, and clear stacking with objects and topics produce precise, readable sentences for professional contexts.