-에서부터

Marks a starting point, usually a place, sometimes the point where an action or list begins, stressing 'right from there'. 서부터 is its shortened form.

조사Particles

Han: 에서부터 marks a starting place or point, not a person; 'from a person' is 에게서/한테서.

Examples

역에서부터 학교까지 걸어서 삼십 분쯤 걸려요.It takes about thirty minutes on foot from the station to the school.

어디서부터 이야기를 시작해야 할지 모르겠어요.I don't know where to begin the story.

입구에서부터 사람들이 길게 줄을 서 있었어요.People were standing in a long line starting right from the entrance.

-에서부터vs-부터부터 alone is mainly for time or order; for a place 에서부터 is more natural: 아홉 시부터 vs 입구에서부터.

N+에서부터 (short form 서부터, mostly after 여기/거기/저기/어디)

집 → 집에서부터; 서울 → 서울에서부터; 여기 → 여기서부터; 어디 → 어디서부터

Most natural with a starting place, often paired with 까지: 서울에서부터 부산까지.
Compared with plain 에서, it stresses the starting point or the whole stretch: 집에서부터 걸어왔어요 'walked all the way from home'.
It can also mark where an action or a list starts: 어디서부터 시작할까요? 'Where shall we start?'
Not for people as a source: 'from a person' is 에게서/한테서.

Wrong: ~~선생님에서부터 이 책을 받았어요.~~

Right: 선생님한테서 이 책을 받았어요.

에서부터 marks a starting place or point, not a person; 'from a person' is 에게서/한테서.

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