Breakdown of Sulla mensola c’è anche la cassetta degli attrezzi, nel caso serva presto.
essere
to be
su
on
anche
also
ci
there
presto
soon
la mensola
the shelf
la cassetta degli attrezzi
the toolbox
nel caso
in case
servire
to need
Questions & Answers about Sulla mensola c’è anche la cassetta degli attrezzi, nel caso serva presto.
What does sulla mean, and how is it formed?
Why is there an apostrophe in c’è, and what does it stand for?
Why is anche placed before la cassetta degli attrezzi? Could it go elsewhere?
Anche means “also” or “too,” indicating an additional item. In this sentence:
- Placing it before the noun phrase (“c’è anche la cassetta…”) focuses on “the toolbox, too.”
You could also say “c’è la cassetta degli attrezzi anche,” but it’s less common and slightly more emphatic at the end.
Position changes the nuance, but both convey that the toolbox is an extra thing on the shelf.
Why do we say cassetta degli attrezzi with degli? Can we omit it or say di attrezzi?
Here degli is di + gli (of the, masc. plural):
- attrezzi is plural (“tools”), whose article is gli
- di + gli → degli
So cassetta degli attrezzi literally = “box of the tools.”
You could hear cassetta di attrezzi in a very general sense (“a toolbox”), but using degli implies “the specific set of tools” and is more natural for “toolbox” as a fixed expression.
Why is serva in the subjunctive mood?
Why is there no che before serva in nel caso serva presto? Is it optional?
How do we know the subject of serva when there’s no pronoun?
What does presto refer to, and why is it at the end?
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Italian grammar?”
Italian grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning ItalianMaster Italian — from Sulla mensola c’è anche la cassetta degli attrezzi, nel caso serva presto to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions