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Mi hermana está de parto en el hospital.

Mi hermana está de parto en el hospital.
My sister is in labor at the hospital.
From Lesson 453:Pregnancy and a new baby (el parto, la molestia)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Mi hermana está de parto en el hospital.

Why do we use está instead of es here?
We use está because being in labor is a temporary physical condition, not an inherent characteristic. This follows the core rule of using estar for temporary states and locations.
What does the structure estar de indicate in this sentence?
The phrase estar de followed by a noun is frequently used in Spanish to describe temporary situations, activities, or roles. Just like estar de vacaciones (to be on vacation) or estar de guardia (to be on call), estar de parto means to temporarily be in the state of labor.
Is the noun parto related to a specific verb for giving birth?
Yes, parto is the noun form of the verb parir (to give birth). While dar a luz is another very common and slightly softer phrase for giving birth, parto is the standard, everyday noun for labor or childbirth.
Why does Spanish use en el hospital instead of just en hospital?
Unlike English, which sometimes omits the article for institutions (like saying someone is in hospital or in school), Spanish almost always requires the definite article el or la before places like hospital, colegio, or prisión when describing a physical location.

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