에 or 에서?
You may have noticed that both 에 and 에서 have a “location” meaning,
but this does not mean that they are interchangeable! In the sentences below, decide whether the verb has a
dynamic meaning (action) or a static meaning (existence).
Do you observe a pattern?
Location 에 is primarily used with
verbs while location 에서 is primarily used with
verbs.
You are correct! Location 에 is primarily used with static verbs to express the existence
or presence of something, while location 에서 is used with dynamic verbs to describe actions.
Read the sentences again and complete the following statements.
In the sentences from list A, the subject is
the place that 에 is attached to. There is
between the subject and the place.
On the other hand, in the sentences from list B, the subject starts out
the place that 에 is attached to. There is a movement of the subject
the place.
Nice work! Here is a summary of what you have discovered so far:
In the sentences from list A, 에 indicates being inside a place or on a surface.
We can call this usage of 에 "location 에".
In the sentences from list B, 에 indicates a movement towards a place.
We can call this usage of 에 "goal 에".
Ready to practice?