한테 vs 에게 vs 께: How to Say "To Someone" in Korean

Quick answer: 한테, 에게 and 께 all mean "to" or "for" a person — they mark who receives something. 한테 (hante) is the everyday spoken one, 에게 (ege) means exactly the same thing but feels more written or formal, and 께 (kke) is the honorific version you use for grandparents, teachers and bosses. For things, places and companies, you use 에 instead — never 한테.

That's the whole system in one breath. One meaning, three levels of politeness, and a fourth particle (에) that handles everything that isn't alive.

The one idea: they differ in register, not in meaning

Beginners often look for a meaning difference between 한테 and 에게 and never find one, because there isn't one. Both answer the question "to whom?"

• 친구한테 선물을 줬어요. — I gave my friend a present.
• 친구에게 선물을 줬어요. — I gave my friend a present.

Same sentence. The first is what you'd say out loud to another person. The second is what you'd write in an essay, read in a news article, or hear in a formal announcement. Neither is wrong in the other setting; 에게 in conversation just sounds a notch more polished, and 한테 in writing sounds casual.

If you are a beginner and want one rule to carry around: speak 한테, write 에게, and switch to 께 when the person deserves honorifics.

한테 — your default when talking

This is the one you'll use ninety percent of the time in real conversation.

• 저한테 전화해 주세요. — Please call me.
• 엄마한테 말할 거예요. — I'm going to tell my mom.
• 동생한테 책을 빌려줬어요. — I lent my younger sibling a book.
• 강아지한테 밥을 줬어요? — Did you feed the dog?

Notice the last one: animals count as animate, so they take 한테/에게 too.

In 반말, 한테 is the only natural choice: 나한테 줘 ("give it to me"), 너한테 말했잖아 ("I told you"). Nobody says 나에게 줘 to a friend unless they're being dramatic on purpose.

에게 — the written twin

• 선생님이 학생들에게 숙제를 내 주셨어요. — The teacher gave the students homework.
• 이 편지를 동생에게 전해 주세요. — Please pass this letter to your sibling.

You'll meet 에게 constantly in textbooks, exam questions and TOPIK reading passages, which is exactly why learners end up using it in speech. It isn't a mistake. It just marks you as someone who learned Korean from a page rather than from a conversation. Mixing it in is fine; using only 에게 sounds slightly stiff.

께 — the honorific one

When the receiver is someone you'd use honorifics for — a grandparent, a teacher, a boss, your parents when speaking politely — 한테/에게 becomes 께.

• 할머니께 선물을 드렸어요. — I gave my grandmother a present.
• 부모님께 전화드렸어요. — I called my parents.
• 선생님께 여쭤봤어요. — I asked my teacher. (여쭤보다 is the humble form of 물어보다.)

Here's the part learners drop: 께 wants humble verbs. The verb 주다 (give) becomes 드리다 when you're giving upward.

• 할머니께 선물을 줬어요. ✗
• 할머니께 선물을 드렸어요. ✓

Saying 께 and then 줬어요 is like bowing and then slapping someone on the back. The particle promised respect and the verb didn't deliver. Same with 말하다 → 말씀드리다: 사장님께 말씀드렸어요 ("I told the boss").

One more pair to keep straight: 께서 is the honorific subject marker, 께 is the honorific recipient marker.

• 선생님께서 저한테 책을 주셨어요. — The teacher gave me a book. (teacher = subject → 께서)
• 제가 선생님께 책을 드렸어요. — I gave the teacher a book. (teacher = receiver → 께)

If the honorific endings on verbs still feel fuzzy, the -(으)시- article covers why it's 주셨어요 and not 줬어요 there.

People take 한테, things take 에

This is the single most common error, and it's an easy fix.

• 친구에 전화했어요. ✗
• 친구한테 전화했어요. ✓ — I called my friend.

But:

• 회사에 이메일을 보냈어요. — I sent an email to the company.
• 고객센터에 전화했어요. — I called customer service.
• 꽃에 물을 줬어요. — I watered the flowers.

Organizations and places take 에 even though humans work there, because you're addressing the institution, not a person. Plants and objects take 에 too. If it breathes and has a face, use 한테. If it has an address or a front desk, use 에. For the rest of what 에 does, see 에 vs 에서.

Going the other direction: 한테서, 에게서

To say you received something from someone, add 서.

• 친구한테서 편지를 받았어요. — I got a letter from a friend.
• 어제 동생한테서 연락이 왔어요. — I heard from my sibling yesterday.

In speech, Koreans very often drop the 서 and just say 친구한테 받았어요 — context makes the direction obvious with 받다 (receive). 에게서 exists and is correct, but it's bookish; you'll read it more than you'll say it.

And for honorifics, there is no 께서 for "from." You simply use 께:

• 선생님께 선물을 받았어요. — I received a gift from my teacher.
• 선생님께서 선물을 주셨어요. — My teacher gave me a gift.

Both sentences describe the same event. The second puts the teacher in the subject slot and sounds a little more respectful, which is why older speakers often prefer it.

Quick reference

Verbs that use these particles

Anything that involves handing something over or sending something toward a person: 주다 (give), 보내다 (send), 전화하다 (call), 말하다 (tell), 물어보다 (ask), 가르치다 (teach), 빌려주다 (lend), 선물하다 (give as a gift).

• 친구한테 꽃을 선물했어요. — I gave my friend flowers.
• 그 얘기는 누구한테 들었어요? — Who did you hear that from? (listener's side uses 한테 too)
• 저한테 한국어를 가르쳐 주세요. — Please teach me Korean.

One thing to notice in real speech: Koreans drop these phrases entirely when context is clear. 줬어요? on its own can mean "Did you give it to them?" — a habit explained in sentences that leave out 'I' and 'you'.

FAQ

What is the difference between 한테 and 에게 in Korean?

There is no difference in meaning — both mark the person who receives something. 한테 is colloquial and belongs in conversation, texts and 반말. 에게 is the same particle in a more formal or written register, so you'll see it in books, news and exam questions. Using 에게 when speaking isn't wrong, it just sounds slightly formal.

When should I use 께 instead of 한테?

Use 께 when the person receiving is someone you'd address with honorifics: grandparents, teachers, bosses, clients, your parents when you're speaking politely. Remember to match the verb too — 할머니께 드렸어요, not 할머니께 줬어요. Using 한테 for an elder in a formal setting sounds blunt, even if the sentence ends politely.

Can I say 친구에 전화했어요?

No. 에 never attaches to a person or an animal. It's 친구한테 전화했어요 or 친구에게 전화했어요. Keep 에 for places, times and organizations: 회사에 전화했어요 ("I called the company") is correct, because you're calling the office, not a specific human.

Practice

Fill in the blank, or fix the sentence.

1. 어제 친구＿＿ 메시지를 보냈어요. (casual speech)
2. 할아버지＿＿ 선물을 ＿＿＿＿. (give, polite past)
3. 아까 회사＿＿ 이메일을 보냈어요.
4. 엄마＿＿＿ 용돈을 받았어요. ("from Mom")
5. Fix it: 선생님한테 이거 줬어요. (you want to sound respectful about your teacher)

Answers

1. 친구한테 메시지를 보냈어요. — I sent my friend a message. (에게 also correct, just more formal.)

2. 할아버지께 선물을 드렸어요. — I gave my grandfather a present. 께 requires 드리다, not 주다.

3. 회사에 이메일을 보냈어요. — I sent an email to the company. A company is a place, not a person.

4. 엄마한테서 용돈을 받았어요. — I got allowance money from Mom. 엄마한테 받았어요 is equally natural in speech.

5. 선생님께 이거 드렸어요. — I gave this to the teacher. Both the particle and the verb have to move up together.