Breakdown of boksahan seoryureul gyosunimkke imeillo bonae juseyo.
Questions & Answers about boksahan seoryureul gyosunimkke imeillo bonae juseyo.
What does 복사한 mean, and why does it end in -한?
복사한 means copied.
It comes from the verb 복사하다 (to copy).
The ending -한 is the form used to describe a noun, so 복사한 서류 means the copied document(s) or the document(s) that were copied.
A helpful way to think about it:
- 복사하다 = to copy
- 복사한 = copied / that has been copied
- 복사한 서류 = copied documents
This is similar to how English uses a past participle before a noun, as in copied files.
Why is 서류를 marked with -를?
The particle -를 marks the direct object of the verb.
In this sentence, the thing being sent is 서류 (documents / paperwork), so it takes -를:
- 서류를 보내 주세요 = please send the documents
Because 보내다 means to send, it needs something that is being sent. That thing is the object, so -를 is used.
What exactly does 서류 mean? Is it the same as 문서 or 종이?
서류 usually means documents, paperwork, or official papers. It often sounds a bit formal.
Comparison:
- 서류 = paperwork, documents, official papers
- 문서 = document(s), often a more general or technical word
- 종이 = paper, the physical material
So in this sentence, 서류 suggests actual documents or paperwork, not just paper in general.
Why does the sentence use 교수님께 instead of 교수님한테 or 교수님에게?
께 is the honorific version of 에게/한테, meaning to someone.
Since 교수님 (professor) is someone who should be spoken of respectfully, 께 is the natural choice:
- 교수님께 = to the professor
Comparison:
- 에게 = to
- 한테 = to, more conversational
- 께 = to, honorific / respectful
So 교수님께 sounds more polite and appropriate than 교수님한테 here.
What does 이메일로 mean, and why is -로 used?
이메일로 means by email or via email.
The particle -로 can show the means, method, or tool used to do something.
So here it tells you how the documents should be sent:
- 이메일로 보내 주세요 = please send it by email
Other similar examples:
- 버스로 가요 = I go by bus
- 한국어로 말해요 = I speak in Korean
- 칼로 잘라요 = cut it with a knife
In this sentence, 이메일로 gives the method of sending.
Why is the verb written as 보내 주세요 instead of just 보내세요?
보내 주세요 is a polite request meaning please send.
It is made from:
- 보내다 = to send
- 주다 = to give
Literally, this pattern has the sense of do the action for me/us, so it softens the request:
- 보내 주세요 = please send it
보내세요 can also mean please send, but it can sound more like a direct instruction depending on context.
보내 주세요 often feels a bit warmer or more clearly like a request.
Also, in modern writing, you may see both:
- 보내 주세요
- 보내주세요
Both are common, though spacing it as 보내 주세요 makes the two-part structure easier to see.
Is this sentence formal and polite? Who is being respected?
Yes, the sentence is polite.
There are two kinds of politeness happening here:
Politeness toward the listener
- 주세요 is polite speech.
Respect toward the professor
- 교수님 uses 님, an honorific title.
- 께 is the honorific particle meaning to.
So the sentence is polite both in how it addresses the listener and in how it refers to the professor.
Why is there no subject in the sentence?
Korean often leaves out the subject when it is obvious from context.
So this sentence does not explicitly say:
- who should send the documents
- whose copied documents they are
But in real conversation, that is usually already understood.
Depending on context, it could mean something like:
- Please send the copied documents to the professor by email.
- Could you send the copied documents to the professor by email?
The listener is normally understood as the person who should do it.
Can the word order change?
Yes. Korean word order is more flexible than English as long as the particles stay attached to the right words.
For example, these are all possible:
- 복사한 서류를 교수님께 이메일로 보내 주세요.
- 교수님께 복사한 서류를 이메일로 보내 주세요.
- 복사한 서류를 이메일로 교수님께 보내 주세요.
They all mean roughly the same thing.
However, some orders sound more natural than others depending on emphasis. The original sentence is very natural and clear.
Does 복사한 서류 mean one document or several documents?
It can mean one document or multiple documents. Korean often does not mark singular vs. plural unless it is important.
So 서류 here could be:
- the copied document
- the copied documents
You figure it out from context. If the speaker wanted to make plurality clearer, they might add something else, but very often Korean just leaves it unmarked.
Could 복사한 also mean photocopied, not just copied?
Yes, very often 복사하다 is used for making a copy, including photocopying a paper document.
So 복사한 서류 may suggest:
- copied documents
- photocopied documents
The exact nuance depends on context. If this is office or school paperwork, many learners will naturally understand it as photocopied documents.
What is the literal structure of the whole sentence?
A very literal breakdown is:
- 복사한 = copied
- 서류를 = documents + object marker
- 교수님께 = to the professor
- 이메일로 = by email
- 보내 주세요 = please send
So the structure is basically:
copied documents + to the professor + by email + please send
That is normal Korean word order: details come before the final verb.
If I wanted to make the request even softer, how could I say it?
You could make it softer or more indirect in several ways, for example:
복사한 서류를 교수님께 이메일로 보내 주실 수 있어요?
= Could you send the copied documents to the professor by email?복사한 서류를 교수님께 이메일로 보내 주시겠어요?
= Would you send the copied documents to the professor by email?복사한 서류를 교수님께 이메일로 보내 주시면 감사하겠습니다.
= I would appreciate it if you could send the copied documents to the professor by email.
The original 보내 주세요 is already polite, but these sound more indirect or formal.
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