Question 1

Why is there a ne before prestane? Doesn't that make it negative?

Accepted Answer

In English, we say "until the pain stops." But in Croatian, the phrase for "until" is often dok ne. You can think of it as literally meaning "while the pain doesn't stop" (meaning you must be patient during that time). When you want to say "until [something happens]", you will usually use dok ne plus a verb that shows a completed action.

Question 2

How do I know whether dok means "while" or "until"?

Accepted Answer

The secret is in the word ne and the type of verb. If you use dok on its own with an ongoing action, it means "while" (like dok jedem, "while I am eating"). If you use dok ne with a verb that describes a single, finished action (like prestane, "stops"), it means "until".

Question 3

Would this sentence change if I am speaking to a woman?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The word strpljiv (patient) is an adjective describing the person you are talking to, and here it is in the masculine form. If you are telling a woman to be patient, you must use the feminine form and say: Moraš biti strpljiva.

Question 4

The word bol ends in a consonant. Is it a masculine noun?

Accepted Answer

Actually, bol (pain) is an exception to the usual Croatian gender rules. It is a feminine noun, even though it doesn't end in -a. For example, if you wanted to describe the pain as "strong", you would need to use a feminine adjective: jaka bol.

Moraš biti strpljiv dok bol ne prestane.

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