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
• 그녀: she
• 결석하다: to be absent

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?

Yes, with slight nuance differences:

• 감기로 결석했어. Natural, compact, idiomatic with 결석하다.
• 감기 때문에 결석했어. More explicit “because of.”
• 감기라서 결석했어. Casual, “since it was a cold.”
• 감기에 걸려서 결석했어. Emphasizes “(she) caught a cold.”

All are fine; 감기로 is the tightest with 결석하다.

What exactly does 결석하다 mean? Is it the same as “skip”?

• 결석하다: to be absent (from class/roll-call type contexts). Neutral/official.
• 빠지다: to skip/miss (often sounds more colloquial; can imply intent): 수업에 빠졌어.
• 불참하다: to not attend (formal, meetings/events).
• 출석하다: to attend/be present (opposite of 결석하다).
• For work (not school), use 결근하다: “be absent from work.”

How do I specify what she was absent from?

Common patterns:

• 수업을 결석했어. / 회의를 결석했어.
• You’ll also hear 수업에 결석했어. (both 을 and 에 occur in practice).
• Colloquial: 수업에 빠졌어.

Why is it 했어 and not 했어요?

Speech level:

• -했어: casual/intimate (friends, same age).
• -했어요: polite informal (default polite).
• -했습니다: formal polite (announcements, business).
• -했다: plain/written or declarative neutral.

Choose based on who you’re talking to.

How does the past tense work in 결석했어?

Base verb: 결석하다. Past is formed with -았/었-:

• 하다 → 하였어 → 했어 (contraction) So 결석하다 → 결석했어. With polite ending: 결석했어요.

Can I move 어제 and 감기로 around?

Yes. Korean word order is flexible for adverbials:

• 어제 그녀는 감기로 결석했어. (time first)
• 그녀는 어제 감기로 결석했어.
• 그녀는 감기로 어제 결석했어. (possible but less typical) Most natural flows are time → topic/subject → reason → verb.

Any pronunciation tips for 결석했어?

• 결석 is pronounced [결썩].
• 했어 is [해써].
• Together, 결석했어 is often heard as something like [결써캐써] due to ㅎ assimilation across the boundary (ㄱ + ㅎ → ㅋ). Don’t worry about the phonetics too much—native rhythm will smooth this out.

Can I omit the subject or particles?

• Subject: Often omitted if obvious: 어제 감기로 결석했어.
• 는/가: Droppable in casual speech if context is clear.
• 로/으로: Keep it (or replace with another reason pattern). You can’t just say 감기 결석했어.

How would I make this more formal or honorific?

• Polite: 어제 (그 사람은) 감기로 결석했어요.
• Formal: 어제 (그 사람은) 감기로 결석했습니다.
• Honorific subject: 어제 그분은 감기로 결석하셨어요. For workplaces: 어제 그분은 감기로 결근하셨어요.

Does 어제 ever take a particle like 에?

Use plain 어제. Forms like 어제에 are nonstandard in modern everyday Korean (except in certain fixed or old-fashioned expressions). Stick with 어제.

Is 감기에 결석했어 okay?

No. -에 doesn’t mark cause here. Use:

• 감기로 결석했어
• 감기 때문에 결석했어
• 감기에 걸려서 결석했어

What’s the difference between 결석했어 and 안 왔어/못 왔어?

• 결석했어: “was absent” in an attendance/official sense (school/meeting).
• 안 왔어: “didn’t come” (neutral; no reason implied).
• 못 왔어: “couldn’t come” (implies inability). Use 결석했어 when talking about roll call or formal absence.