Nel nuovo appartamento c’è un piccolo ripostiglio dove mettiamo le scatole vuote.

Nel is the combination of in + il.

• in = in
• il = the
• nel = in the

So Nel nuovo appartamento literally means in the new apartment.

Italian often combines prepositions and definite articles:

• in + il = nel
• in + lo = nello
• in + la = nella
• in + i = nei
• in + gli = negli
• in + le = nelle

Because appartamento is masculine singular, the article is il, so in il becomes nel.

Both word orders are possible in Italian, but they can sound a little different.

In nuovo appartamento, the adjective comes before the noun, which is very common with everyday adjectives like:

• nuovo = new
• vecchio = old
• piccolo = small
• grande = big

So nel nuovo appartamento is a very natural way to say in the new apartment.

If you said appartamento nuovo, it would still be understandable, but it can sound more contrastive or descriptive, as if you are emphasizing that the apartment is new.

C’è means there is.

It comes from ci è:

• ci = there
• è = is

So:

• c’è un piccolo ripostiglio = there is a small storage room / closet

This structure is extremely common in Italian:

• c’è = there is
• ci sono = there are

Examples:

• C’è un problema. = There is a problem.
• Ci sono due finestre. = There are two windows.

The apostrophe shows that ci has been shortened before è.

• full form: ci è
• contracted form: c’è

This contraction is standard Italian.

Also notice that è has an accent. That accent matters, because:

• è = is
• e = and

So c’è is not the same as ce or e.

Because the thing that exists is singular:

• un piccolo ripostiglio = a small storage room / closet

Since that noun phrase is singular, Italian uses c’è.

Compare:

• C’è un piccolo ripostiglio. = There is a small storage room.
• Ci sono due piccoli ripostigli. = There are two small storage rooms.

So the verb agrees with what comes after it.

Ripostiglio is a small room, closet, or storage space used for keeping things.

Depending on context, it could be translated as:

• storage room
• closet
• cupboard
• utility closet

In this sentence, it sounds like a small place where people keep extra items, such as boxes.

In Italian, many common adjectives often come before the noun, especially short, frequent ones like piccolo.

So:

• un piccolo ripostiglio = a small storage room

This is the most natural order here.

If you say un ripostiglio piccolo, it is not impossible, but it sounds more marked, as if you are stressing the size in contrast with something else.

Also notice agreement:

• un because ripostiglio is masculine singular
• piccolo also masculine singular to match ripostiglio

Dove means where.

In this sentence, it introduces a relative clause that refers back to ripostiglio:

• un piccolo ripostiglio dove mettiamo le scatole vuote
• a small storage room where we put the empty boxes

So dove connects the place (ripostiglio) with what happens there (mettiamo le scatole vuote).

Italian could also use in cui in some cases:

• un piccolo ripostiglio in cui mettiamo le scatole vuote

That is also correct, but dove is very natural and common when talking about places.

Mettiamo is the we form of mettere = to put.

So:

• metto = I put
• metti = you put
• mette = he/she puts
• mettiamo = we put
• mettete = you all put
• mettono = they put

The sentence uses mettiamo because the subject is understood to be we.

Italian often leaves subject pronouns unstated when the verb ending already makes the subject clear.

So:

• mettiamo already means we put
• you do not need noi unless you want emphasis

It can mean either, depending on context.

The Italian present tense often covers both:

• we put
• we are putting
• sometimes even we do put

In this sentence, the most natural interpretation is probably habitual:

• where we put the empty boxes
• in other words, where we usually keep/store the empty boxes

So it is less about a single action happening right now and more about the normal use of the storage room.

Italian uses articles more often than English.

Here, le scatole vuote literally means the empty boxes.

Even when English might say simply empty boxes, Italian often prefers the article, especially when referring to a known or specific set of things in context.

So:

• le scatole vuote = the empty boxes

This sounds completely natural in Italian.

In Italian, descriptive adjectives often come after the noun, especially when they describe a quality in a straightforward way.

So:

• le scatole vuote = the empty boxes

That is the normal order here.

Also notice agreement:

• scatole is feminine plural
• so the adjective becomes vuote, also feminine plural

Compare the forms of vuoto:

• vuoto = masculine singular
• vuota = feminine singular
• vuoti = masculine plural
• vuote = feminine plural

You can tell from the article and the adjective agreement:

• le = feminine plural the
• vuote = feminine plural empty

So the noun they go with, scatole, must also be feminine plural.

The singular is:

• la scatola = the box

The plural is:

• le scatole = the boxes

Because Italian usually does not need subject pronouns.

The verb ending already tells you who the subject is:

• mettiamo clearly means we put

So noi is optional.

You would add noi only for emphasis, contrast, or clarity, for example:

• Noi mettiamo le scatole vuote nel ripostiglio, loro no.
• We put the empty boxes in the storage room, they don’t.

Without that special emphasis, just mettiamo is the normal choice.

It describes il piccolo ripostiglio, not l’appartamento.

The structure is:

• c’è un piccolo ripostiglio
• dove mettiamo le scatole vuote

So the meaning is:

• there is a small storage room
• where we put the empty boxes

The relative clause introduced by dove attaches naturally to the nearest place noun, which is ripostiglio.

You would need plural forms:

• Nel nuovo appartamento ci sono dei piccoli ripostigli dove mettiamo le scatole vuote.

Main changes:

• c’è → ci sono
• un piccolo ripostiglio → dei piccoli ripostigli

That is because ripostigli is plural.

So:

• C’è un ripostiglio. = There is one storage room.
• Ci sono dei ripostigli. = There are some storage rooms.