Estamos en medio de la calle.

We are in the middle of the street.

Breakdown of Estamos en medio de la calle.

• en: in
• estar: to be
• nosotros: we
• la calle: the street
• de: of
• el medio: the middle

Questions & Answers about Estamos en medio de la calle.

Why is the verb estar used here instead of ser?

In Spanish, estar is used to indicate location or temporary states, whereas ser describes more permanent characteristics. Since “Estamos en medio de la calle” tells us where “we” are standing (a location), estar is the correct choice.

What does en medio de literally mean, and why do we need de?

Literally, en medio de means “in the middle of.” It’s a fixed prepositional phrase where “en medio” means “in the middle” and the de (“of”) links “middle” to the following noun (in this case, la calle).

Is medio a noun or an adjective in this expression?

Here medio functions as a noun meaning “middle.” It’s part of the compound preposition en medio de and does not agree in gender or number with the noun that follows.

Why is it de la calle instead of del calle?

Calle is a feminine noun, so we use la (feminine singular article) after de. De + la remains separate, whereas del contracts de + el (masculine singular). You only use del before masculine singular nouns.

Can I say en la mitad de la calle instead?

Yes. La mitad also means “the half” or “middle.” So en la mitad de la calle is grammatically correct and means virtually the same, though en medio de is often more colloquial.

Could I use a mitad de la calle instead of en medio de la calle?

Yes. A mitad de literally means “at half of,” and a mitad de la calle is common in many Latin American regions. It conveys essentially the same idea as en medio de la calle.

Can en medio de be used in non-physical contexts?

Absolutely. For example:
“Estamos en medio de un proyecto importante”
means “We are in the middle of an important project.” It’s a figurative way to say you’re partway through something.

How would you say this if you were talking only about yourself?

You’d change estamos (we are) to estoy (I am):
“Estoy en medio de la calle.”