Korean Location Particles: 에 vs 에서

One of the most common beginner mistakes in Korean is mixing up 에 and 에서. Both relate to locations, but they serve different purposes.

에 — Direction or Static Location

Use 에 when you're talking about:

1. Where you're going (direction)
2. Where something exists (static location)
3. Time expressions

에서 — Action Location

Use 에서 when you're doing an action at a place:

The Key Difference

Think of it this way:

• 에 = destination or position (no action happening at the place)
• 에서 = the place where you do something

Same place, different particles:

• 도서관에 가요 → I go to the library (movement)
• 도서관에서 공부해요 → I study at the library (action)

Practice 에/에서 with interactive examples →

Common Places to Practice With

Here are key location words from our beginner curriculum:

Browse all vocabulary by unit →

Practice on Chamelingo

Location particles are covered in Unit 4 of our curriculum on Chamelingo. The exercises give you real-world scenarios where you choose between 에 and 에서.

Explore all grammar points →