Korean Grammar Basic #7 – How to Use “에서 ~까지 /부터 ~까지” (From → To)

1️⃣ Introduction

Learn how to use 에서~까지 (from~to) and 부터~까지 (from~to) to talk about places and time in Korean. Both structures show a range — starting and ending points — but they are used in slightly different ways.

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2️⃣ Grammar Explanation

🔹 에서~까지 (e-seo~kka-ji) — “From~to” (for places / movement)

Used to express where something exists or where someone goes.

Use 에서~까지 when talking about locations or movement — where something starts and where it ends.

Form

Place + 에서 + Place + 까지

Usage

• To show the starting and ending place of movement

• Often used with verbs like 가다 (to go), 오다 (to come), 걸리다 (to take time), 출발하다 (to depart)

Example	Meaning
집에서 학교까지 걸어요. (ji-be-seo hak-gyo-kka-ji geo-reo-yo)	I walk from home to school.
서울에서 부산까지 갔어요. (seo-u-le-seo bu-san-kka-ji ga-sseo-yo)	I went from Seoul to Busan.
회사에서 집까지 1시간 걸려요. (hoe-sa-e-seo jib-kka-ji han-si-gan geol-lyeo-yo)	It takes one hour from work to home.

Tip:

• 에서~까지 is used only for places or movement.

• It naturally describes physical distance or travel routes.

  
  

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🔹 부터~까지 (bu-teo~kka-ji) — “From~to / Since~until” (for time / duration)

Use 부터~까지 when describing time ranges — when something starts and when it ends.

Form

Time + 부터 + Time + 까지

Usage

• To show the start and end of time

• Used for periods like morning → evening, Monday → Friday, now → later

Example	Meaning
아침부터 저녁까지 일해요. (a-chim-bu-teo jeo-nyeo-kkka-ji il-hae-yo)	I work from morning to evening.
월요일부터 금요일까지 학교에 가요. (wo-lyo-il-bu-teo geu-myo-il-kka-ji hak-gyo-e ga-yo)	I go to school from Monday to Friday.
지금부터 회의가 있어요. (ji-geum-bu-teo hoe-ui-ga i-sseo-yo)	There’s a meeting from now.

Tip:

• 부터~까지 is used only for time expressions.

• Avoid it for locations — “서울부터 부산까지” is understandable in casual speech, but 에서~까지 is grammatically correct.

  
  

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3️⃣ Comparison: 에서~까지 vs 부터~까지

Think of it like this:

When you talk about where something starts and ends, use 에서~까지. When you talk about when something starts and ends, use 부터~까지.

• “From home to school” → 집에서 학교까지

• “From morning to night” → 아침부터 저녁까지

Both patterns can pair with verbs like 가요 (go), 와요 (come), 일해요 (work), or 공부해요 (study) depending on context.

Expression	Used For	Example	Translation
에서~까지	Places / movement	집에서 학교까지	from home to school
부터~까지	Time / duration	아침부터 저녁까지	from morning to evening

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4️⃣ Mini Practice

Fill in the blanks

(Choose between 에서~까지 or 부터~까지)

1️⃣ 서울_____ 부산_____ 갔어요.

2️⃣ 아침_____ 저녁_____ 공부했어요.

3️⃣ 회사_____ 집_____ 1시간 걸려요.

4️⃣ 월요일_____ 금요일_____ 일해요.

5️⃣ 지금_____ 시작해요.

Answers

1️⃣ 에서 / 까지

2️⃣ 부터 / 까지

3️⃣ 에서 / 까지

4️⃣ 부터 / 까지

5️⃣ 부터

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Vocabulary Check

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
서울	(seo-ul)	Seoul
부산	(bu-san)	Busan
아침	(a-chim)	morning
저녁	(jeo-nyeok)	evening
회사	(hoe-sa)	company
집	(jip)	home
월요일	(wo-lyo-il)	Monday
금요일	(geu-myo-il)	Friday

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Summary

Grammar	Function	Example	Meaning
에서~까지	Place / movement range	집에서 학교까지	from home to school
부터~까지	Time / duration range	아침부터 저녁까지	from morning to evening

• 에서~까지 → use for places / movement

• 부터~까지 → use for time / duration

• Both mean “from~to,” but they attach to different types of nouns.

  
  

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