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Questions & Answers about Vrag nikad ne spava.
Why does the sentence use both nikad and ne?
Croatian requires double negation. Whenever you use a negative word like nikad (never), you must also negate the verb by putting ne in front of it. An English speaker might naturally want to say Vrag nikad spava, but in Croatian, you literally have to say that the devil never does not sleep.
Is this a widely used saying in Croatia, or just a literal translation from English?
This is a very common, native proverb in Croatian. Just like the English equivalent, it is used as a warning to stay alert because trouble, danger, or bad luck can happen at any time.
Can the word order be changed to Vrag ne spava nikad?
Yes, grammatically you can put the negated verb before the adverb. However, Vrag nikad ne spava is the fixed, traditional word order for this specific proverb. Even outside of idioms, putting nikad right before the negated verb usually sounds the most natural to a native ear.