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Questions & Answers about Zapravo, nikad nisam bio u Dubrovniku.
Why does the sentence use both nikad (never) and nisam (am not)?
Croatian requires double negation. When you use a negative word like nikad (never), the verb must also be negative. You literally say that you never have not been.
English uses 'been to', so why is it u Dubrovniku instead of a direction?
In Croatian, the verb biti (to be) describes a static location, not a movement. You must use u (in) with the locative case, literally meaning 'I was in Dubrovnik'. You only use a direction (the accusative case) with verbs of motion like ići (to go).
Why does Dubrovnik end with an -u here?
The preposition u requires the locative case when talking about a fixed location. Because Dubrovnik is a standard masculine noun, its locative form simply takes the -u suffix.
Is zapravo used for time, like saying 'currently'?
No, zapravo is a false friend. It means 'actually' in the sense of 'in fact' or 'as a matter of fact'. If you want to say 'currently', you should use a word like trenutno.