1.
halfway; in the middle of doing something; partway through
Indicates that something happens or is interrupted at an intermediate point during an activity or process, before it is completed.
途中でやめる。
To quit partway through.
映画の途中で寝てしまった。
I fell asleep in the middle of the movie.
宿題を途中でやめて夕食を食べに行った。
I stopped my homework halfway through and went to have dinner.
2.
on the way; en route
Indicates that something happens during a journey or while going somewhere, before reaching the destination.
帰り道の途中でコンビニに寄った。
On the way home, I stopped by a convenience store.
駅に行く途中で友達に会った。
I met a friend on the way to the station.
学校に行く途中で雨が降り始めた。
It started raining on my way to school.
A very common adverbial expression combining 途中 (middle, midway) + で (locative/instrumental particle). Applies both to actions (partway through) and to journeys (on the way).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 途中でやめる: to quit partway through
- 途中で止まる: to stop in the middle (of something)
- 途中で帰る: to leave partway through
- 途中で気が変わる: to change one's mind midway
- 帰り道の途中で: on the way home
- 行く途中で: on the way (going somewhere)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 途中{に}: similar meaning, but で is more common when describing an action or event that occurs midway
- 最中に: in the middle of — emphasizes the peak of an activity; slightly more formal
- 〜ながら: while doing — describes two simultaneous actions, not interruption
USAGE:
The noun 途中 by itself means "on the way" or "midway." Adding で turns it into an adverbial phrase marking when something else happens.