eoje geunyeoneun gamgiro gyeolseokhaesseo.

She was absent with a cold yesterday.

Breakdown of eoje geunyeoneun gamgiro gyeolseokhaesseo.

• ~는: topic particle
• 어제: yesterday
• ~로: instrumental particle
• 감기: cold

Questions & Answers about eoje geunyeoneun gamgiro gyeolseokhaesseo.

Is using 그녀 natural here?

In everyday conversation, 그녀 is uncommon or sounds bookish. Koreans usually:

• Omit the subject if it’s clear: 어제 감기로 결석했어.
• Use the person’s name or role: 어제 민지는 감기로 결석했어., 어제 팀장은 감기로 결석했어요.
• Use 그 사람 (neutral) or 그분 (polite/respectful).

Avoid 그 여자 unless you specifically mean “that woman” (it can sound pointed or rude).

What’s the difference between 그녀는 and 그녀가?

• 그녀는 marks a topic. It sets “her” as the topic, often implying contrast or shared background: “As for her, she was absent…”
• 그녀가 marks the grammatical subject and often answers “who?”: “It was she who was absent…”

Both are possible:

• 어제 그녀는 감기로 결석했어. (As for her, she was absent yesterday due to a cold.)
• 어제 그녀가 감기로 결석했어. (It was she who was absent yesterday due to a cold.)

Why is 로 used in 감기로?

-로/-으로 can mark a cause/means. 감기로 means “because of a cold.” Selection rule:

• After a vowel or ㄹ, use -로 (e.g., 감기로).
• After other consonants, use -으로 (e.g., 감염으로 “due to an infection”).

Can I say 감기 때문에, 감기라서, or 감기에 걸려서 instead of 감기로?