에게 vs 께: How to Say "To" a Person in Korean

You've learned 에 for direction - going to a place. But what about giving something to a person, or talking to someone?

Korean uses a completely different particle for that: 에게.

And when that person deserves respect? You use 께 instead.

This post covers both - how they work, when to use each one, and how they connect to Korean's broader honorific system.

The Basic Distinction

Both mark the recipient of an action - the person something is given to, said to, sent to, or done for. The difference is respect level.

에게 - Neutral "To a Person"

에게 is used with people and animals in everyday, non-honorific speech. It's the standard particle for recipients.

Structure: Person/Animal + 에게 + verb

한테 - The Casual Spoken Version of 에게

In everyday spoken Korean, 한테 is used more often than 에게 - it means exactly the same thing but sounds more casual and natural in conversation.

💡 Think of it this way:

• 에게 → written Korean, formal speech
• 한테 → spoken Korean, everyday conversation

Both are correct. In a text message or conversation, 한테 sounds more natural. In writing or formal speech, 에게 is preferred.

께 - Honorific "To a Person"

께 is the honorific form of 에게/한테. Use it when the recipient is someone you respect - older people, teachers, bosses, parents, or anyone in a position of authority.

Structure: Respected person + 께 + honorific verb

⚠️ 께 pairs with honorific verbs - not regular ones. When you use 께, the verb should also be upgraded to its honorific form.

The Honorific Verb Pairs

When using 께, these regular verbs become honorific verbs:

에게서 / 한테서 / 께서 - "From" a Person

These particles mark where something came from - the source rather than the recipient:

💡 께서 is also used as an honorific subject marker (replacing 이/가 when the subject is a respected person): 선생님께서 오셨어요. (The teacher came.)

Side-by-Side: All Three Levels

Here's the same basic action across all three speech levels:

Giving something:

Asking something:

에게 vs 에 - Don't Mix These Up

This is a common mistake for beginners. 에 is for places; 에게/한테 is for people.

❌ 친구에 줬어요. (wrong - 에 is for places) ✅ 친구에게 / 친구한테 줬어요.

❌ 학교한테 갔어요. (wrong - 한테 is for people) ✅ 학교에 갔어요.

Real Conversations Using 에게, 한테, and 께

📍 Conversation 1: Casual - with a friend

A: 그거 어디서 났어? (Where did you get that?)

B: 언니한테 받았어. 생일 선물이야. (I got it from my older sister. It's a birthday present.)

A: 너무 예쁘다! 나한테도 하나 줘. (So pretty! Give one to me too.)

B: 나도 하나밖에 없어. 언니한테 물어봐. (I only have one too. Ask my sister.)

📍 Conversation 2: Polite - at work

A: 이 서류 누구에게 보내야 해요? (Who should I send this document to?)

B: 김 과장님께 보내드리세요. (Please send it to Manager Kim.)

A: 이메일로 보내면 돼요? (Is it okay to send it by email?)

B: 네, 이메일로 보내드리고 따로 말씀도 드리세요. (Yes, send it by email and also mention it separately.)

📍 Conversation 3: Honorific - talking about family

A: 주말에 뭐 했어요? (What did you do over the weekend?)

B: 할머니께 갔어요. 용돈도 드리고 같이 밥도 먹었어요. (I went to see my grandmother. I gave her some spending money and we ate together.)

A: 할머니 건강하세요? (Is your grandmother in good health?)

B: 네, 많이 좋아지셨어요. 저한테 맛있는 것도 많이 해주셨어요. (Yes, she's gotten much better. She also made a lot of delicious food for me.)

Quick Reference

Quick Practice

Fill in the blank with 에게, 한테, or 께:

1. 친구___ 문자 보냈어요. (I sent a text to my friend.)
2. 선생님___ 질문이 있어요. (I have a question for the teacher.)
3. 강아지___ 간식을 줬어요. (I gave a snack to the dog.)
4. 부모님___ 전화드렸어요. (I called my parents.)
5. 저___ 주세요. (Please give it to me.)

Answers:

1. 친구에게 / 친구한테 (both fine)
2. 선생님께
3. 강아지에게 / 강아지한테 (both fine)
4. 부모님께
5. 저에게 / 저한테 (both fine)

Summary

에게, 한테, 께 - three small particles that reveal how deeply respect is woven into the Korean language. Mastering them isn't just grammar. It's learning how Korean people relate to each other.

📚 This Is Chapter 11 of the A1 Masterclass

에게 and 께 are introduced in Chapter 11: 할아버지께서는 고향에 계세요 of the Today Korean A1 Masterclass - where you'll learn the full honorific system in context, including how particles, verbs, and nouns all shift together when showing respect.

👉 See the full A1 curriculum