에게는/한테는 (to person + topic)

This grammar is a beautiful mashup of two things you probably already know. First, we have the directional particles 에게 or 한테. These tell us who is receiving an action or a feeling. Second, we have the legendary topic particle 는. When you combine them, you get a "directional topic." Think of it like a grammar traffic light directing the listener's attention. The base particle (에게/한테) handles the logistics of who we are talking about. The 는 handles the emotional or logical weight. It signals that we are comparing this person to others or emphasizing their unique circumstances. In most cases, you can translate this as "For [someone]" or "As for [someone]." It is incredibly common in intermediate Korean because it moves beyond basic facts and into the realm of nuance and comparison. Yes, even native speakers use this constantly to avoid sounding too blunt or general.

1. 1Creating this pattern is as easy as stacking blocks. You do not need to worry about batchim (final consonants) for the particles themselves, which is a huge relief! Follow these steps:
2. 2Select your target noun. This must be a person or a living thing (like a pet).
3. 3Choose your base particle. Use 에게 for writing or formal settings. Use 한테 for casual conversations.
4. 4Attach the topic particle 는 directly to the end.
5. 5Example (Formal): 친구 (friend) + 에게 + 는 = 친구에게는.
6. 6Example (Casual): 나 (me) + 한테 + 는 = 나한테는.
7. 7Place this bundle before the descriptive part of your sentence.

You will want to pull this grammar out of your pocket in three main scenarios. First, use it for contrast. If you are at a job interview and want to say, "This task might be hard for others, but for me, it is easy," use 나에게는. It subtly implies that your experience differs from the norm. Second, use it for subjective opinions. If a movie was boring to your sister but great to you, 동생한테는 helps define her specific perspective. Third, use it for limitations or requirements. For example, "For a student, this laptop is too expensive." Here, 학생에게는 sets the boundary of the situation. Think of it like a label on a gift. You are clearly marking who this situation belongs to.

Do not use this for inanimate objects! If you want to say "For this car," do not say 이 차에게는. Instead, use 이 차에는. Only use 에게는/한테는 for people or animals. Also, avoid using it if there is no contrast or special emphasis intended. If you are just saying "I gave a gift to my mom," 어머니에게 is enough. Adding 는 would make it sound like you gave it to her *specifically* while maybe ignoring someone else, which might make for an awkward family dinner. Finally, if the person is much higher in status, like a CEO or a grandparent, you should use the honorific version 께는 instead. Using 한테는 with your boss might make them think you have spent a bit too much time watching casual dramas and not enough time in the office.

The most frequent slip-up is forgetting the 는 when you actually want to show contrast. If you say 저한테 매워요 (It's spicy to me), it is a flat fact. But if your friend is eating it fine and you are crying, you need 저한테는 매워요 to highlight the difference. Another mistake is trying to use it as the subject of the sentence. Remember, 에게는 marks the recipient or the person affected, not the one doing the action. Also, watch out for the "double topic" trap. You usually only want one main 는/은 topic in a simple sentence. If you already have a topic, adding 에게는 can make the sentence feel a bit "heavy." Keep it balanced! It is like adding salt to food—a little bit brings out the flavor, but too much makes it hard to swallow.

How does this differ from 에게? It is all about the focus. 에게 is just a delivery truck—it brings the action to the person. 에게는 is a display case—it highlights the person. For example, 민수에게 연락했어요 means "I contacted Minsu." Simple. But 민수에게는 연락했어요 implies "I contacted Minsu (but maybe not the others)." See the difference? There is a hidden "but" lurking in the background. Compared to 한테는, 에게는 is just the tuxedo version. You use 에게는 in speeches, essays, or when talking to someone you don't know well. Use 한테는 when you are grabbing coffee with a classmate or texting your best friend.