How to say "the one I sent the letter to"


I sent him the letter - 彼に手紙を送ってあげた

He was the one who sent me the letter - 手紙を送ってくれたのは、彼だった

He was the one I sent the letter to - ???




You can say **私が手紙を送ったのは彼だった**.

This 私が is more or less important. If you omitted 私が, the sentence would
become ambiguous:

> 手紙を送ったのは彼だった。
>
>   * He is the one who sent a letter (to someone).
>   * He is the one I sent a letter to.
>

The use of あげる cannot solve this type of ambiguity (手紙を送ってあげたのは彼だった is still
ambiguous the same way). And even the following simple phrase is ambiguous in
Japanese:

> 手紙を送った人
>
>   * a person who sent a letter (to someone) (=the sender)
>   * a person who someone sent a letter to (=the receiver)
>

Please read the following questions for details:

  * [Clarification about how 惚れた should be translated](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/60895/5010)
  * [Relative Clause Ambiguous](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/60385/5010)
  * [How is the subject of this subclause made clear?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/54666/5010)




You can say **私が手紙を送ったのは彼だった**.

This 私が is more or less important. If you omitted 私が, the sentence would
become ambiguous:

> 手紙を送ったのは彼だった。
>
>   * He is the one who sent a letter (to someone).
>   * He is the one I sent a letter to.
>

The use of あげる cannot solve this type of ambiguity (手紙を送ってあげたのは彼だった is still
ambiguous the same way). And even the following simple phrase is ambiguous in
Japanese:

> 手紙を送った人
>
>   * a person who sent a letter (to someone) (=the sender)
>   * a person who someone sent a letter to (=the receiver)
>

Please read the following questions for details:

  * [Clarification about how 惚れた should be translated](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/60895/5010)
  * [Relative Clause Ambiguous](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/60385/5010)
  * [How is the subject of this subclause made clear?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/54666/5010)

