에게 vs 한테: Saying 'To Someone' in Korean

When something goes to a person — a letter, a gift, a message — Korean marks that person with 에게 or 한테.

They mean exactly the same thing.

The split is register

친구에게 편지를 써요. — written, formal
친구한테 편지를 써요. — spoken, everyday

No consonant/vowel rule, no conjugation. Just pick by situation.

In conversation, 한테 is what you will hear almost every time. 에게 in a casual chat reads a little bookish — not wrong, just dressed up, the way “to whom did you give it” would sound over lunch in English.

For writing, essays, or anything formal, use 에게.

The third one: 께

For someone you would use honorifics with, both forms step aside for 께.

선생님께 드렸어요. — I gave it to my teacher.
부모님께 전화했어요. — I called my parents.

께 rarely travels alone. It usually brings a humble verb with it:

선생님한테 줬어요 will be understood, but it lands casually in a way most learners do not intend. If someone is senior enough that you are using 존댓말 carefully, use 께 께 with 드리다.

People only

This is the line that matters.

친구한테 말했어요.    ✅  I told my friend.
학교한테 갔어요.      ❌
학교에 갔어요.        ✅  I went to school.

Places take (장소)에. People take 에게/한테.

Things also take 에:

• 꽃에 물을 줘요 — I water the flowers.
• 회사에 이메일을 보냈어요 — I sent an email to the company.

That last one surprises people. A company is treated as a place, not a person — even though an email obviously reaches humans. If you name the person, it flips back: 김 팀장님께 이메일을 보냈어요.

Animals sit in between. Grammar books say 에, but pet owners say 강아지한테 without thinking about it, because the dog is a someone to them.

Going the other way: from a person

Add 서 — full drill on 에게서, 한테서:

친구한테서 편지를 받았어요 — I got a letter from a friend.
부모님에게서 들었어요 — I heard it from my parents.

In speech the 서 often drops off entirely — 친구한테 받았어요 — and context makes the direction obvious. Both are fine.

Quick reference