途中に
On the way, Partway, In the middle of
Structure
Noun + の + 途中 + で(1)
(1) に
Explanation
途中, which means 'on the way', can be followed by the case marking particle に or で. This combination is used to express that something happens 'while on the way to (A)', 'partway through (A)', or 'in the middle of (A)'.
途中 can follow a verb in its plain form or a noun that is connected with の.
As is often the case, に places a greater focus on the point in time or the duration of (A). Conversely, で tends to highlight the process of (A) as the setting or opportunity for (B) to occur. Let's examine some examples of each.
- スーパーに行く途中に、財布を忘れたことに気づいた。On my way to the supermarket, I realized I had forgotten my wallet.
- 映画の途中に携帯が鳴って、とても焦った。My phone rang in the middle of the movie, and I got really flustered.
- 駅へ歩いていく途中で、雨が降り出した。It started to rain on the way to the station.
- スピーチの途中でマイクが壊れてしまい、会場がざわついた。The microphone broke in the middle of the speech, causing a stir in the auditorium.
With this particular grammar point, the distinction between で and に can often be subtle. It may require encountering many examples before the slight difference in nuance becomes clear.
Examples
映画の途中で寝てしまい、結末が分からなかった。
I fell asleep in the middle of the movie and didn't find out how it ended.
公園を走っている途中で、昔の友達にばったり会った。
I bumped into an old friend while I was running in the park.
スピーチの途中で言葉を忘れてしまい、頭が真っ白になった。
I forgot my words in the middle of my speech and my mind went blank.
学校からの帰り道の途中に、きれいなカフェを見つけた。
I found a nice cafe on my way home from school.
試合の途中で雨が降り始め、中止になった。
It started raining in the middle of the game, so it was called off.
晩ご飯を作っている途中で、醤油がないことに気が付いた。
I realized I was out of soy sauce while I was making dinner.
買い物の途中で財布を落としたことに気づいて、青ざめた。
I turned pale when I realized I had dropped my wallet while I was out shopping.
ドライブの途中に、景色のいい場所で車を止めた。
I stopped the car at a scenic spot in the middle of my drive.
授業の途中で携帯電話が鳴って、とても恥ずかしかった。
My cell phone rang in the middle of class, and I was so embarrassed.
散歩の途中で疲れたので、ベンチに座って少し休んだ。
I got tired partway through my walk, so I sat on a bench to rest for a bit.
本を読んでいる途中で、面白すぎてやめられなくなった。
I got so engrossed in the middle of reading the book that I couldn't put it down.
プレゼンテーションの途中でプロジェクターの調子が悪くなった。
The projector started acting up in the middle of the presentation.