in nessun caso
Lemma: in nessun caso
Translation: in no case; under no circumstances; by no means; not in any way (adverbial phrase)
Etymology: This Italian adverbial phrase combines 'in' (in), 'nessun' (no, none), and 'caso' (case, instance). 'Nessun' derives from Latin 'ne' (not) + 'ipse' (self) + 'unus' (one), literally meaning 'not even one'. 'Caso' comes from Latin 'casus' (event, occurrence), which shares roots with English words like 'casual' and 'casualty'.
Example Usage
In nessun caso dovresti dare i tuoi dati personali a sconosciuti.
Under no circumstances should you give your personal data to strangers.
In nessun caso il rimborso sarà superiore all'importo originale.
In no case will the refund exceed the original amount.
Non devi, in nessun caso, aprire quella porta.
You must not, under any circumstances, open that door.
In nessun caso possiamo accettare queste condizioni.
We cannot accept these conditions under any circumstances.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'nessun' as 'not a single one' and 'caso' as 'case' - literally 'not in a single case'
- Remember the opera aria 'Nessun dorma' (None shall sleep) - 'in nessun caso' similarly means there are no exceptions
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
This phrase is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts in Italian to express absolute refusal or prohibition. It's frequently used in legal contexts, instructions, and warnings.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'in nessun caso' means 'in no case/under no circumstances', 'in ogni caso' means the opposite: 'in any case/anyway'.
This word:
In nessun caso accetterò la sua proposta.
Under no circumstances will I accept his proposal.
Confused word:
In ogni caso, dobbiamo finire il progetto entro domani.
In any case, we must finish the project by tomorrow.
Notes: These phrases are logical opposites but structurally similar, making them easy to confuse.
Mnemonic: 'Nessun' contains 'ness' which sounds like 'no/not' in English, while 'ogni' sounds more open and inclusive like 'any'.
Explanation: 'In nessun caso' means 'in no case' (never), while 'in qualche caso' means 'in some cases' (sometimes).
Confused word:
In qualche caso, è meglio non dire tutta la verità.
In some cases, it's better not to tell the whole truth.
Notes: These phrases represent opposite ends of a spectrum: 'never' versus 'sometimes'.
Mnemonic: 'Nessun' is negative (no cases), while 'qualche' is partial (some cases).