Unit 20: From ... To ... (에서, 부터, 까지)

If you want to say how far you traveled or how long you studied, you need to use the particles for "From" and "To".

In Korean, we use different "From" words depending on whether we are talking about a Location or Time.

1. Location: 에서 (From) ... 까지 (To)

When talking about traveling from one place to another place, you use 에서 (from) and 까지 (to). (Wait, didn't we learn 에서 means "at" in Unit 16? Yes! In Korean, the context tells you if 에서 means "action taking place at" or "departing from".)

• Location A + 에서 = From Location A
• Location B + 까지 = To Location B

Examples: * 서울에서 부산까지 = From Seoul to Busan. * 집에서 학교까지 = From home to school.

• 집에서 학교까지 어떻게 가요? = How do you go from home to school?

2. Time: 부터 (From) ... 까지 (To)

When talking about a span of time (from 1 o'clock to 2 o'clock, from Monday to Friday), you use 부터 (from) and 까지 (to).

Notice that 까지 is used for both Location and Time! Only the "From" word changes.

• Time A + 부터 = From Time A
• Time B + 까지 = To Time B

Examples: * 아침부터 저녁까지 = From morning to evening. * 내일부터 = From tomorrow (Starting tomorrow).

• 아침부터 저녁까지 일해요. = I work from morning to evening.

3. Mixing them up

You can use just the "From" part, or just the "To" part in a sentence. You don't always have to use both!

• 서울에서 왔어요. = I came from Seoul.
• 내일까지 하세요. = Please do it by (until) tomorrow.

Summary

• 에서 = From (Location)
• 부터 = From (Time)
• 까지 = To / Until (Location AND Time)