"I am holding the bill."

Translation: 계산서는 제가 들고 있어요.

[Rose468589]

Why is it not "저는 계산서를 들고 있어요."? Is it because the "계산서는" sentence indicates there is more importance/focus on where the bill is rather than what I am currently doing?

[oee16]

I am holding the bill

• Usual translation
계정서를[Obj] 제가[Subj] 들고 있어요[Verb]

• Common practice: if the roles of Object and Subject are obvious in the sentence, the marker(s) can be omitted.

In this example, because 가, the Subject marker is kept. It is clear that 계정서 (the bill) has to be the Object. The object marker 를 is therefore dropped.

계정서(를) 제가 들고 있어요 ->

계정서 제가 들고 있어요

• A topic tag is independently added to the sentence to select a future theme for discussion. This theme can be the Subject, the Object or even (though rarely) the Verb.

In this case, 계정서 is selected. Hence,

계정서는 제가 들고 있어요.

Think of this as:

I am holding the #bill.

<h1>bill opens up a discussion on the bill.</h1>

[Rob943719]

"Bill" should have an object marker, instead of subject marker?

[Nunya670705]

Not to nitpick, 가 is the subject marker and 는 is the topic marker. I think it's a terrible sentence

[Pamela909830]

I came here to ask the same question others have asked. Why is it not "제가 계산서를 들고 있어요"?

[RaelMichael]

Shouldn't this be 계산서를?

[Nunya670705]

This is a terrible English sentence.

[Tobi_Butcher]

Is it? Why?

[Pamela909830]

What is wrong with the English?