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

Questions & Answers about sangsaga bonaen imeireul ilgeoyo.

Why is 읽다 conjugated as 읽어요 and not 읽는다 or 읽습니다?

Korean verbs change form to match the speech level and style:

• 읽어요 is the polite informal (해요) form that you’d use in everyday conversation.
• 읽습니다 is the polite formal form, often used in announcements or presentations.
• 읽는다 is the plain (prosaic) form, typically found in written narration or diaries.

How does 상사가 보낸 이메일 translate to “the email that the boss sent”?

This is a Korean relative clause. The structure is:
(subject + subject marker) + (verb in attributive form) + (noun).

• 상사가 marks “boss” as the subject of the clause.
• 보낸 is the past attributive form of 보내다 (“to send”), modifying the noun.
• 이메일 is the noun being modified.
  Put together, 상사가 보낸 이메일 literally means “boss-ga sent email,” i.e. “the email that the boss sent.”

Why is 보낸 used here instead of 보내는 or 보냈다?

• 보낸 is the past attributive form (action completed) used to modify a noun.
• 보내는 is the present attributive form, meaning “the email that the boss sends” (habitually or right now).
• 보냈다 is the past declarative ending, i.e. “(he) sent (it),” but it doesn’t modify a noun directly.