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sangsado hoeuie chamseokhaeyo.

상사도 회의에 참석해요.sangsado hoeuie chamseokhaeyo.
The boss also attends the meeting.
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Questions & Answers about sangsado hoeuie chamseokhaeyo.

Why is there no subject marker 이/가 or topic marker 은/는 after 상사?

In Korean it’s common to drop particles when the context makes the role of the noun clear, especially in spoken or semi-formal register. Here 상사 serves as the subject even without 이/가 or 은/는. If you wanted to be more explicit, you could say:

  • 상사가 회의에 참석해요. (subject marker)
  • 상사는 회의에 참석해요. (topic marker)
What does the particle 도 do in 상사도 회의에 참석해요?

도 means also (or too, even). It marks 상사 as one more member in the group attending the meeting. Depending on context, it can be rendered as:

  • “The boss also attends the meeting.”
  • “Even the boss attends the meeting.”
Why is 회의 followed by -에 instead of the object marker -을/를?

Certain verbs in Korean take specific case markers. 참석하다 (to attend) treats the event or place as a location, so it uses the locative/dative marker -에:

  • 회의에 참석하다 = “to attend a meeting” (literally, “be present at a meeting”).
What’s the difference between 참석하다, 참가하다, and 참여하다? Can they all mean “attend”?
  • 참석하다: Emphasizes being present. “Attend” a meeting or event.
  • 참가하다/참여하다: Emphasize active participation or taking part.
    In many contexts 회의에 참석하다 and 회의에 참가하다 overlap, but if you want to stress your involvement (speaking up, contributing), 참가하다 or 참여하다 is more fitting.
What politeness level is 참석해요? Would I use it in formal business settings?

The -해요 ending is polite informal (해요체). It’s fine for most everyday conversations—even with colleagues or clients you know. In very formal or written business contexts, you’d switch to the 합니다체:

  • 회의에 참석합니다.
How do you pronounce 참석해요? Are there any sound changes?
  • The base is 참석 + 하다 → 참석하다.
  • When 석 (ending in ㄱ) meets 하, the consonants ㄱ+ㅎ merge into an aspirated ㅋ sound.
  • So 참석해요 is pronounced roughly like [참서케요].
In English “also” requires knowing who else attends. How do you know what 도 refers to here?

Korean often relies on shared context. 도 refers back to whoever or whatever was just mentioned. For example:
A: 저희 팀원들이 회의에 참석해요.
B: 상사도 회의에 참석해요.
Even if the first part is unstated, in conversation you understand “also” from previous discussion.