Nikad ne kasnim u školu.

not

Breakdown of Nikad ne kasnim u školu.

• u: to
• škola: school
• kasniti: to be late

Questions & Answers about Nikad ne kasnim u školu.

Why are there two negatives in Nikad ne kasnim?

Croatian requires negative concord: a negative word like nikad (never) must be accompanied by the negative particle ne before the verb. This is normal and not “double negative” in the English sense.

• Correct: Nikad ne kasnim.
• Also: Nitko ne dolazi (Nobody is coming), Ništa ne razumijem (I don’t understand anything). Leaving out ne with nikad in a full sentence is ungrammatical.

Can I replace nikad with nikada? Does it change the meaning?

Yes. Nikad and nikada mean the same thing. Nikada can feel a bit more emphatic or formal, but both are fully standard:

• Nikad ne kasnim u školu.
• Nikada ne kasnim u školu.

Can I drop ne and say Nikad kasnim u školu?

No. With nikad, the verb must be negated with ne: Nikad ne kasnim u školu.
Exception: in very short answers you can say just Nikad! (Never!), but that’s not a full sentence.

Where should nikad go in the sentence?