에 대해서 (e daehaeseo) means "about".
Means 'about' or 'regarding' a certain topic.
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- 서 seo is optional. Before a noun, use 에 대한 e daehan.
Build it
When to use it
Topic of talk
With verbs like 말하다 malhada, 알다 alda, 묻다 mutda.
Before a noun
에 대한 e daehan + noun.
Formal writing
에 대하여 e daehayeo in reports and news.
Watch out
Before a noun, use 에 대한 e daehan.
Don't drop 에 e.
In context
8 examples- 1
한국 문화에 대해 알고 싶어요.
Hanguk munhwae daehae algo sipeoyo.
I want to know about Korean culture.
- 2
그 문제에 대해서 이야기합시다.
Geu munjee daehaeseo iyagihapsida.
Let's talk about that problem.
- 3
이 노래에 대해서 어떻게 생각해요?
I noraee daehaeseo eotteoke saenggakaeyo?
What do you think of this song?
- 4
그 사람에 대해 좀 알아요?
Geu sarame daehae jom arayo?
Do you know anything about him?
- 5
한국 역사에 대한 다큐를 봤어.
Hanguk yeoksae daehan dakyureul bwasseo.
I watched a documentary on Korean history.
- 6
그 일에 대해서는 나중에 얘기하자.
Geu ire daehaeseoneun najunge yaegihaja.
Let's talk about that later.
- 7
회의에서 새 프로젝트에 대해 발표했어요.
Hoeuieseo sae peurojekteue daehae balpyohaesseoyo.
I gave a presentation on the new project at the meeting.
- 8
제 고향에 대해 소개하겠습니다.
Je gohyange daehae sogaehagetseumnida.
I'd like to tell you about my hometown.
Practice
8 questions회의에서 새 계획에 대해 발표했어요.
Hoeuieseo sae gyehoege daehae balpyohaesseoyo.
I gave a presentation on the new plan at the meeting.
에 대해서 vs 에 관해서
에 관해서 e gwanhaeseo means almost the same thing, "concerning". It sounds a little more formal and is more common in writing:
- 이번 일정에 관해서 질문이 있어요. ibeon iljeonge gwanhaeseo jilmuni isseoyo "I have a question about this schedule."
In everyday speech, 에 대해서 is the safer choice.
Not for "to" or "toward" a person
English says "kind to someone" or "angry at someone". Korean uses 한테 hante for that, not 에 대해서 e daehaeseo, which is for a topic:
- ✗친구에 대해서 친절해요. chingue daehaeseo chinjeolhaeyo
- ✓친구한테 친절해요. chinguhante chinjeolhaeyo "She's kind to her friends."
More on 한테 in the 에게/한테 lesson.
Hanja in this lesson
Words from the examples that are written with Chinese characters. Tap a character to see its page.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 에 대해서 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.
