Learn Croatian: Neću biti neovisan dok ne nađem posao. - I won't be independent until I find a job.

In Croatian, the phrase dok ne translates to "until" when talking about a specific event that will finish in the future. Even though ne usually means "not", it is required in this grammatical structure. Literally, it is like saying "as long as I haven't found a job," but in natural English, it simply means "until I find a job."

Why is the verb "nađem" in the present tense if we're talking about the future?

When you use dok ne (until) for a future event, Croatian uses the present tense of a perfective verb (a verb that describes a completed action). Nađem is the present tense of the perfective verb naći (to find).

How do we know if a man or a woman is speaking in this sentence?

We know a man is speaking because the adjective neovisan (independent) is in the masculine form. If a woman were speaking, she would use the feminine form and say Neću biti neovisna.

Is "Neću biti" the normal way to say "I won't be"?

Yes! The negative future tense is very straightforward. You take the negative future helper verb (neću, meaning "I will not") and simply add the infinitive (dictionary form) of the main verb, which here is biti (to be).