sangsaga bonaen imeireul ilgeoyo.

(I read the email that the boss sent.)

Breakdown of sangsaga bonaen imeireul ilgeoyo.

• 읽다: to read
• ~을: object particle
• ~가: subject particle
• 보내다: to send
• 상사: boss
• 이메일: email

Questions & Answers about sangsaga bonaen imeireul ilgeoyo.

In the phrase 상사가 보낸 이메일을 읽어요, what does 상사 mean and what role does -가 play?

상사 means “boss” or “superior.” The particle -가 marks 상사 as the subject of the verb 보낸 in the relative clause “the one who sent.”

Why is 가 used after 상사 instead of the topic particle 은/는?

-가 specifically marks the subject that performs the action in this clause. If you used 은/는, it would turn 상사 into a topic or contrast (“As for the boss…”), which slightly shifts the nuance.

Why is 보낸 used instead of 보냈다 or 보내요?

보낸 is the attributive (adnominal) form of 보내다 (verb stem + -ㄴ) and is used to modify 이메일 directly (“the email that (someone) sent”).
• 보냈다 is the past declarative form and can’t modify nouns.
• 보내요 is present tense polite, not an attributive form.

Why isn’t there a relative pronoun like “that” in Korean?

Korean forms relative clauses by putting the verb in its attributive form directly before the noun. There’s no separate word for “that” or “which.”

What is the function of -을 in 이메일을 읽어요?

-을 is the object particle marking 이메일 as the direct object of 읽어요 (“to read”).

What tense and politeness level is 읽어요?

읽어요 is present/simple tense in the polite informal style (해요체). It’s commonly used in everyday conversation to state or ask about current or habitual actions.

Could we use 읽습니다 instead of 읽어요? What’s the difference?

Yes. 읽습니다 is the formal polite ending (합니다체). It’s more formal—used in announcements, presentations, or writing. 읽어요 is polite but more casual.

How would you change this sentence to past tense: “I read the email the boss sent”?

Replace 읽어요 with 읽었어요:
상사가 보낸 이메일을 읽었어요.

How do you express the progressive aspect: “I am reading the email”?

Use -고 있어요:
상사가 보낸 이메일을 읽고 있어요.

Should you use honorifics for the boss in the relative clause?

If you want to show respect to the boss, you can use the honorific subject marker 께서 and the honorific attributive form 보내신:
상사께서 보내신 이메일을 읽었어요.