Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): La puerta de la sala está al fondo del pasillo. - The living room door is at the end of the hallway.

Estar = to be (temporary states, feelings, locations)
- La puerta … está al fondo del pasillo. → “The door is at the end of the hallway.”
Ser = to be (permanent characteristics, identity, time, origin)
- La puerta es blanca. → “The door is white.”

Because this sentence describes where the door is, está is the correct choice, not es.

What does de la sala literally mean, and why is it used here?

De la sala literally means “of the room” (or “of the living room,” depending on context):

de = of / from
la = the (feminine singular article)
sala = room / living room / hall (depending on usage)

So La puerta de la sala is literally “the door of the room”, which in natural English is “the door to the room” or “the room’s door.”

Spanish typically uses de to show possession or association:

la puerta de la cocina – the kitchen door
la ventana del baño – the bathroom window

Why is it de la sala and not a la sala?

Because the Spanish phrase is describing which door it is, not where you are going.

de la sala = “of the room” → identifies the door (the room’s door)
a la sala = “to the room” → would express movement or direction toward the room

In English we say “the door to the room”, but in Spanish the normal way to express that idea is la puerta de la sala, using de rather than a.

What exactly does al fondo mean? Is it the same as “at the end”?

Al fondo literally comes from a + el fondo = “to the bottom/back/end”. In this context, it means:

“at the far end” / “all the way at the back” of the hallway.

It’s close to English “at the end”, but it usually implies:

farther away from you,
at the back part of a corridor/room/space.

Related expressions:

al fondo del pasillo – at the far end of the hallway
al final del pasillo – at the end of the hallway (more neutral “end”)
en el fondo – in the back / at the back (focus more on position “in” that back area)

You could say al final del pasillo instead; it would also be understood as “at the end of the hallway”, though al fondo emphasizes the idea of “all the way in/back.”

What is al in al fondo? Why is it written as one word?

Al is a contraction of a + el:

a = to / at
el = the (masculine singular article)

Spanish always contracts a + el → al:

Voy al pasillo. = Voy a el pasillo. (incorrect)
al fondo = a el fondo (incorrect)

So al fondo = “to the back / to the far end,” written as one word al.

What is del in del pasillo? Is it similar to al?

Yes. Del is a contraction of de + el:

de = of / from
el = the (masculine singular article)

Spanish always contracts de + el → del:

del pasillo = “of the hallway”
de el pasillo (separate) is not correct.

So:

al fondo del pasillo = “at the far end of the hallway.”

Why do we need la in de la sala? Could we just say de sala?

In this context, you normally need the article:

Correct: la puerta de la sala – the door of the room
Incorrect / unnatural: la puerta de sala (sounds incomplete)

In Spanish, when you’re talking about a specific, known room (the living room, the meeting room, etc.), you normally use de + article + noun:

la puerta de la cocina – the door of the kitchen
la puerta del baño – the door of the bathroom
la puerta de la sala – the door of the room/living room

You see bare de + noun without article mainly in more abstract or fixed expressions (e.g. clases de español, bolsa de plástico) or when the noun is being used more like a category, not a specific room in a house.

Why does está have an accent, and how is it different from esta without an accent?

The accent changes both meaning and pronunciation.

está (with accent) → 3rd person singular of estar: “he/she/it is”, “you (usted) are”
- La puerta … está al fondo. – “The door is at the back.”
esta (no accent) → a demonstrative adjective or pronoun: “this” (feminine)
- esta puerta – “this door”
- Esta está cerrada. – “This one is closed.”

In your sentence, you need the verb “is”, so it must be está with an accent.

What is the difference between sala, salón, habitación, and cuarto, especially in Spain?

All refer to rooms, but they’re used differently:

sala
- General word for a room/hall used for a purpose: sala de espera (waiting room), sala de reuniones (meeting room).
- As “living room,” in Spain people more often say salón; sala can sound a bit more formal or generic.
salón
- In Spain, the usual word for living room / lounge in a home.
- el salón = the living room.
habitación
- Usually means bedroom, especially in hotels: habitación doble.
- More generic “room” in some contexts.
cuarto
- Also “room”, very common in Latin America to mean bedroom.
- In Spain it’s understood but habitación is more common for bedroom; cuarto de baño is common for “bathroom.”

In your sentence, la sala might be “the living room” or another particular room, depending on context. In everyday European Spanish for a home, you’d very often hear la puerta del salón for “the living room door.”

Could I change the word order and say Al fondo del pasillo está la puerta de la sala?

Yes, that’s correct Spanish and sounds natural.

La puerta de la sala está al fondo del pasillo.
Al fondo del pasillo está la puerta de la sala.

Both mean the same. The second version puts more emphasis on where (at the end of the hallway) by placing it first. Spanish word order is flexible, especially for emphasis, as long as the grammar (articles, prepositions, agreement) stays correct.