Breakdown of Nemoj ništa stavljati u epruvetu dok ne pripremim kemikalije.
ne
no, not
u
in, into
nemoj
do not (sg., pl. nemojte)
ništa
nothing
pripremiti
to prepare
dok
until
stavljati
to put (imperfective)
epruveta
test tube
kemikalija
chemical (noun)
Questions & Answers about Nemoj ništa stavljati u epruvetu dok ne pripremim kemikalije.
Why is there a ne before pripremim if the English translation is positive ('until I prepare')?
In Croatian, the phrase dok ne is used to mean 'until', but it literally translates to 'while not'. Whenever you use dok ne to say that one thing cannot happen until another thing is finished, the verb following dok must be negated. You are literally saying 'while I do not prepare the chemicals'.
Why is the perfective verb pripremim used here instead of the imperfective pripremam?
When dok ne means 'until a completed action happens', it is usually followed by a perfective verb. The speaker wants the listener to wait for the exact moment the preparation is completely finished. Also, notice that pripremim is in the present tense; Croatian can use the perfective present tense in subordinate clauses like this one.
Why do we use ništa ('nothing') instead of a word for 'anything'?
Croatian requires double negation. Because the sentence starts with the negative command word nemoj ('don't'), any indefinite pronouns in the same clause must also be negative. So, 'don't put anything' becomes nemoj... ništa (literally, 'don't put nothing').
Why is epruvetu in the accusative case here instead of the locative case?
The preposition u takes the accusative case when it indicates motion or direction toward a destination, such as putting something into the test tube (u epruvetu). If you were talking about something already resting stationary inside the test tube, you would use the locative case (u epruveti).
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