advanced
Marks the origin or source that something comes from.
Usage
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Noun ends in a vowel or ㄹ → 로부터 (친구로부터).
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Noun ends in a consonant → 으로부터 (선생님으로부터).
Example:
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회사로부터 연락을 받았어요. (I received contact from the company).
Nuance
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Formal and written — news reports, official letters, contracts. In conversation Koreans say 한테서 or 에서.
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Unlike 에게서/한테서, which only work with people and animals, 로부터 also takes organisations and abstract sources: 정부로부터, 자연으로부터, 과거로부터.
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부터 alone marks a starting point in time or sequence (아침부터). 로부터 marks a source. They are not interchangeable.
In Context
은행으로부터 편지가 왔어요.
A letter came from the bank.
우리는 실패로부터 배웁니다.
We learn from failure.
친구로부터 소식을 들었습니다.
I heard the news from a friend.