El medidor está afuera.

Because medidor is a masculine noun in Spanish, so it takes the masculine article el.

A useful pattern:

• nouns ending in -dor are usually masculine
  
  • el medidor
  • el contador
  • el corredor

So el medidor = the meter.

Medidor literally means meter, gauge, or measuring device, depending on context.

In everyday Latin American Spanish, el medidor often refers to a utility meter, such as:

• el medidor de luz = electric meter
• el medidor de agua = water meter
• el medidor de gas = gas meter

So in many real-life situations, this sentence would mean something like The meter is outside.

It uses está because the sentence is talking about location.

In Spanish, location is normally expressed with estar, not ser:

• El medidor está afuera. = The meter is outside.
• La casa está en la esquina. = The house is on the corner.

A common rule learners use is:

• ser = identity, characteristics, what something is
• estar = location, condition, state

So here, since we are saying where the meter is, está is the correct choice.

The accent mark is there to show both stress and meaning.

• está = he/she/it is or you (formal) are
• esta = this (feminine), as in esta casa

So:

• El medidor está afuera. = The meter is outside.
• esta casa = this house

The accent helps distinguish these two different words.

Afuera means outside, outdoors, or out depending on context.

In this sentence, afuera means outside:

• El medidor está afuera. = The meter is outside.

You may also hear it in other sentences:

• Los niños están afuera. = The children are outside.
• Salió afuera. = He/She went outside.

It usually refers to being in an exterior space, not inside the building.

In many everyday situations, especially in Latin America, afuera and fuera can both mean outside, and people often use them similarly.

Examples:

• El medidor está afuera.
• El medidor está fuera.

Both can mean The meter is outside.

That said, there can be slight differences in feel:

• afuera often sounds more directly like outside/outdoors
• fuera can also mean outside, but it can have broader uses, including out, away, or not included

Examples:

• Está afuera de la casa. = It is outside the house.
• Está fuera de servicio. = It is out of service.

For this sentence, afuera is very natural.

Yes. El medidor está fuera is understandable and natural in many contexts.

Still, afuera is often especially common when talking about physical location outdoors. If you are simply saying the meter is located outside the house or building, afuera is a very normal choice.

So both are possible:

• El medidor está afuera.
• El medidor está fuera.

Spanish often leaves out information that is understood from context.

If someone asks where the meter is, saying:

• El medidor está afuera.

already implies something like:

• outside the house
• outside the apartment
• outside the building

If needed, Spanish can be more specific:

• El medidor está afuera de la casa. = The meter is outside the house.
• El medidor está afuera del edificio. = The meter is outside the building.

But if the context is clear, the shorter sentence is completely natural.

Normally, no. In standard Spanish, you usually need the article:

• El medidor está afuera.

Saying:

• Medidor está afuera

sounds incomplete or unnatural in most normal contexts.

Spanish uses definite articles more often than English does, especially with common nouns referring to specific things already known in the conversation.

Yes, you could say Afuera está el medidor, but it changes the emphasis.

Compare:

• El medidor está afuera. = neutral, standard word order
• Afuera está el medidor. = puts emphasis on outside

The second one might be used if you are clarifying location, for example:

• ¿Está adentro?
• No, afuera está el medidor.

So the original sentence is the most neutral and common version.

A simple approximate pronunciation is:

el meh-dee-DOR es-TA ah-FWEH-rah

A few notes:

• medidor is stressed on the last syllable: -dor
• está is stressed on the second syllable: -tá
• afuera is stressed on fue

In many parts of Latin America:

• d between vowels can sound softer
• r is tapped lightly in afuera

It is very common in Latin America, yes. Learners will hear afuera a lot in everyday speech.

Examples:

• Espérame afuera. = Wait for me outside.
• Está afuera. = It’s outside.
• Déjalo afuera. = Leave it outside.

Since your focus is Latin American Spanish, El medidor está afuera is a very natural sentence to learn.

Yes. Medidor is a general word for something that measures.

Depending on context, it could refer to:

• a utility meter
• a measuring instrument
• a gauge
• a sensor-like measuring device

But in ordinary home or building-related conversation, people often mean a utility meter. Context tells you which kind of measuring device is meant.