한테 vs. 에게

 

Both "한테" and "에게" mean "to (someone)" and indicate the recipient of an action. 

What's the difference between them?

👉한테 → More commonly used in spoken (informal) Korean
ex) 친구한테 선물을 줬어요 ( I gave a present to my friend)

👉에게 → More commonly used in written (formal) Korean
ex) 선생님에게 질문을 했어요 ( I asked my teacher a question )

"~에게" Sounds More Formal

Casual speech: "너한테 할 말이 있어." (I have something to say to you.)
Formal speech: "김 선생님에게 감사드립니다." (I am grateful to Mr. Kim.)

"한테" Can Only Be Used for People (or Animals)

"에게" can be used for both people and objects, but "한테" can only be used for people (or sometimes animals).

✅ Natural sentences:

• "I fed the cat." → "고양이한테 밥을 줬어요."
• "I sent a letter to my friend." → "친구한테 편지를 보냈어요."
• "I sent an email to the company." → "회사에게 이메일을 보냈어요." (✔)
  -> It might sound awkward in daily conversation, but it's fine in written sentences.

❌ Unnatural sentences:

• "회사한테 이메일을 보냈어요." (❌)
• "I asked the book a question." → "책한테 물어봤어요." (❌)

"한테서" vs. "에게서" (from someone)

• "한테서" → More common in spoken Korean
• "에게서" → More common in written/formal Korean

✅ Same meaning, different style:

• "I received a gift from my friend." → "친구한테서 선물을 받았어요."
• "I learned a lot from my teacher." → "선생님에게서 배운 것이 많아요.