Breakdown of Nitko neće govoriti dok se on ne smiri.
on
he
ne
no, not
govoriti
to speak
htjeti
to want (intent, will)
Questions & Answers about Nitko neće govoriti dok se on ne smiri.
Why does the sentence use neće (will not) after nitko (nobody)?
Croatian requires a double negative! When you use a negative word like nitko (nobody), the verb must also be negative. So nitko neće is the only correct way to say nobody will.
Doesn't dok mean while? Why is it translated as until?
On its own, dok means while. However, when you combine dok with a negative verb (like ne smiri), the meaning changes to until. You can think of it literally as saying while he does not calm down.
Why is the reflexive word se separated from the verb smiri?
The word se is a clitic, which is a small, unstressed word that strongly prefers to be in the second position of its clause. After the word dok starts the new clause, se jumps right into the second spot, sitting before the subject on.
Why do we use the perfective verb smiri here instead of an imperfective form?
We use the perfective verb smiriti se because the sentence focuses on a completed action. The other people are waiting for the specific result of him being completely calm, not the ongoing process of him trying to calm down.