The Negative Future Tense
To express that you will not do something, or to outright refuse an action, Croatian uses the negative future tense.
It is formed by combining the negated forms of the verb htjeti (to want) with the infinitive of the main verb. Unlike the positive future tense clitics (ću, ćeš...), these negative forms are full words. This means they can stand alone and be placed at the very beginning of a sentence.
| Pronoun | Negative Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ja | neću | I will not |
| ti | nećeš | you will not |
| on / ona / ono | neće | he / she / it will not |
| mi | nećemo | we will not |
| vi | nećete | you (pl.) will not |
| oni / one / ona | neće | they will not |
Expressing Refusal (Singular)
Use the singular forms (neću, nećeš, neće) followed by an infinitive to state what you, the listener, or a third person will not do. For emphasis, you can pair it with words like nikako (absolutely not).
| I absolutely will not give in to that pressure. | Nikako neću popustiti tom pritisku. |
| I will not listen to your advice. | Neću poslušati tvoj savjet. |
| You absolutely will not admit the mistake to her. | Ti njoj nikako nećeš priznati pogrešku. |
| She will not allow insults in the office. | Ona neće dopustiti uvrede u uredu. |
Plural Refusals
Similarly, use the plural forms (nećemo, nećete, neće) to express that a group refuses to participate in an action or tolerate a situation.
| We will not endure his insults! | Mi nećemo trpjeti njegove uvrede! |
| You will not give in to the pressure, right? | Vi nećete popustiti pritisku, zar ne? |
| They will not admit the secret, they will refuse all the money. | Oni neće priznati tajnu, odbit će sav novac. |
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