The suffix -한테 is an informal dative marker used to indicate the recipient or target of an action. It is similar to -에게, but it is typically used in spoken and casual Korean.
Usage of -한테:
Indicating the Recipient of an Action (Informal)
-한테 is attached to nouns to show who or what is receiving the action.
Example:
친구한테 선물을 줬어요. → “I gave a gift to my friend.”
엄마한테 전화했어요. → “I called my mom.”
Expressing Direction or Interaction
-한테 can indicate who is affected by an action.
Example:
동생한테 말을 했어요. → “I spoke to my younger sibling.”
고양이한테 밥을 줬어요. → “I fed the cat.”
Comparison with -에게 (Formal)
-한테 is informal, while -에게 is formal and used in writing or polite speech.
Example:
선생님에게 질문을 했어요. (Formal) → “I asked the teacher a question.”
선생님한테 질문을 했어요. (Casual) → “I asked the teacher a question.”
Difference Between -한테 and -한테서
-한테 means “to” someone (giving something).
-한테서 means “from” someone (receiving something).
Example:
나는 친구한테 편지를 보냈어요. → “I sent a letter to my friend.”
나는 친구한테서 편지를 받았어요. → “I received a letter from my friend.”
Summary:
-한테 is the informal dative marker, used in casual speech.
It means “to” (indicating the recipient of an action).
-에게 is the formal version.
-한테서 means “from” someone.
Common examples:
친구한테 말하다 (“to talk to a friend”)
아이한테 책을 읽어주다 (“to read a book to a child”).
See: -에게