TOPIK I · LEVEL 1
-에
에 marks the place where something is, the place you go to, or the time when something happens.
조사ParticlesHan: 공부하다 is an action done in a place, so the place takes 에서, not 에; 에 is for being there or going there (도서관에 가요).
Examples
저는 매일 아침 일곱 시에 일어나요.I get up at seven every morning.
가방 안에 책이 있어요.There is a book in the bag.
내년에 한국에 갈 거예요.I will go to Korea next year.
주말에 친구하고 시장에 가요.On the weekend I go to the market with a friend.
Don’t mix up
-에vs에서에 is where something is or goes; 에서 is where an action happens: 집에 있어요 vs 집에서 쉬어요.
-에vs에게 / 한테에 goes with places and things; 에게/한테 go with people and animals: 회사에 전화해요 vs 친구에게 전화해요.
-에vs(으)로에 marks the destination itself; (으)로 stresses the direction or way: 학교에 가요 vs 이쪽으로 가세요.
How to build it
N (place / time)+에
학교 → 학교에 가요; 세 시 → 세 시에 만나요
- For places, use 에 with existence verbs (있다, 없다) and movement verbs (가다, 오다, 다니다). For a place where an action is done (공부하다, 먹다, 일하다), use 에서.
- For time, add 에 to a specific point in time: clock times, days, months, years, and words like 아침, 주말 (세 시에, 월요일에, 3월에, 주말에, 내년에).
- Do not add 에 to relative or question time words such as 그저께, 어제, 오늘, 내일, 모레, 지금, 언제, 매일: say 오늘 가요, not 오늘에 가요.
- Do not use 에 after people or animals; use 에게 or 한테 instead (친구에게, not 친구에).
Classic mistake
Wrong: 저는 도서관에 공부해요.
Right: 저는 도서관에서 공부해요.
공부하다 is an action done in a place, so the place takes 에서, not 에; 에 is for being there or going there (도서관에 가요).
Practise -에 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'.
- -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.
- -와/과 (하고/랑)와/과, 하고 and (이)랑 join two nouns as "A and B" or show the person you do something "with".
