TOPIK I · LEVEL 1
-부터 -까지
N부터 N까지 marks a range: where something starts and where it ends, usually in time or order ("from ... to/until ...").
조사ParticlesHan: For a starting place in movement or distance, Korean uses 에서, not 부터; 부터 is for time and order.
Examples
저는 월요일부터 금요일까지 회사에 가요.I go to work from Monday to Friday.
한국어 수업은 아홉 시부터 열두 시까지예요.Korean class is from nine to twelve.
숙제는 금요일까지 내세요.Please hand in the homework by Friday.
오늘은 1과부터 3과까지 공부하세요.Today, please study from lesson 1 to lesson 3.
Don’t mix up
-부터 -까지vsN에서 N까지에서 marks a starting place, 부터 a starting time: 서울에서 부산까지 기차로 가요.
-부터 -까지vsN에 (time)에 marks one point in time, 까지 marks the end of a period: 세 시에 만나요 vs 세 시까지 기다려요.
-부터 -까지vsN부터 (first in order)부터 alone can mean "starting with, first": 저부터 소개할게요.
How to build it
N (start time/order)+부터+N (end)+까지
아침 + 부터, 저녁 + 까지 → 아침부터 저녁까지
- 부터 is mainly for a starting time or order. For a starting place (travel, distance), use 에서: 집에서 학교까지, not usually 집부터 학교까지.
- Attach 부터 and 까지 directly to the noun; do not add 에 for time: 세 시까지, not 세 시에까지 in basic speech.
- Each half can stand alone: 내일부터 = starting tomorrow; 금요일까지 = until/by Friday. With a deadline verb (내다, 끝내다) 까지 means "by".
Classic mistake
Wrong: 집부터 학교까지 걸어서 가요.
Right: 집에서 학교까지 걸어서 가요.
For a starting place in movement or distance, Korean uses 에서, not 부터; 부터 is for time and order.
Practise -부터 -까지 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)로-(으)로 marks the direction you head toward, the means or tool you use, or what something is made of.
- -(이)나(이)나 links two nouns as alternatives ("A or B"), and after a number it shows an approximate amount in questions or a surprisingly large amount in statements.
- -도-도 attaches to a noun to say that this thing is 'also' included, adding it to something already mentioned.
- -만Attach 만 to a noun to say 'only this one and nothing else'.
- -에에 marks the place where something is, the place you go to, or the time when something happens.
- -의-의 links two nouns to show possession or belonging: A의 B = A's B.
- -은/는-은/는 marks what the sentence is about (the topic), often something already known, or something you are contrasting with another thing.
- -을/를을/를 sits right after a noun to show it is the thing the action is done to, the direct object.
- -이/가이/가 attaches to a noun to show it is the subject, the one who does something or is described, and often presents it as new or focused information.
