In Croatian, dok means "while". To say "until", you must pair dok with a negative verb.
Even though the meaning is affirmative in English, Croatian literally says "while the [action] does not happen" (dok ne + verb).
Present and Future Actions
For actions extending into the present or future, use dok ne followed by a present tense verb.
| Nobody will enter the laboratory until they put on a protective mask. | Nitko neće ući u laboratorij dok ne stavi zaštitnu masku. |
| The liquid is cold, but we must heat it until the experiment begins. | Tekućina je hladna, ali mi je moramo zagrijavati dok pokus ne počne. |
Giving Instructions
This structure is commonly used to tell someone not to do something until another action is completed.
| Don't put anything into the test tube until I prepare the chemicals. | Nemoj ništa stavljati u epruvetu dok ne pripremim kemikalije. |
| Don't mix the liquid until I add the acid. | Nemojte miješati tekućinu dok ne dodam kiselinu. |
Past Tense Actions
For past events, the rule is exactly the same: the verb in the "until" clause must be negative. Use dok followed by the negative perfect tense (a negative auxiliary like nije or nismo + the past participle).
| We didn't know anything about the gas until the laboratory exploded. | Nismo znali ništa o plinu dok laboratorij nije eksplodirao. |
| We didn't leave the laboratory until we finished this experiment. | Nismo izašli iz laboratorija dok nismo završili ovaj pokus. |
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