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N2

途中に・途中で

とちゅうに・とちゅうで

On the way, Partway, In the middle of

授業じゅぎょうの途中とちゅうに校長こうちょう先生せんせいから呼よび出だされた時ときはビクッとした。

I was a bit startled when the principal called me out in the middle of class.

Explanation

「途中で/途中に」 means 'on the way, partway through'. 「途中で」 says that while doing something, another thing happened or it was interrupted: 「学校へ行く途中で友達に会った」 (I met a friend on the way to school), 「会議の途中で気分が悪くなった」 (I felt sick in the middle of the meeting). 「途中に」 also says what is located along the route: 「会社へ行く途中に、美味しいパン屋がある」 (There's a good bakery on the way to work). 「途中に」 can also mark when something happens (a little more written), but for an interruption 「途中で」 is the usual choice.

Mixed up with

「途中で」: partway along, partway through, then interrupted.

「最中に」: right at the peak of an activity, something suddenly happens.

「うちに」: do it while the state has not yet changed.

Examples

  1. 会社かいしゃから帰かえる途中とちゅうで変へんなおじさんに話はなしかけられた。

    On my way home from work, a strange man tried to talk to me.

  2. 出張しゅっちょうの途中とちゅうに実家じっかに寄よってもいいと言いわれた。

    I was told that it was okay to stop by my parent's home in the middle of the business trip.

  3. シャッターが途中とちゅうで閉しまらなくなってしまった。

    The shutter stopped partway and won't close.

Tested 2 times in past papers

N4 · Jul 2013, Q52N2 · Jul 2010, Q34