Ne volim da radim kasno.

• ne = not
• volim = I like / I love
• da = a particle that often introduces a subordinate clause, especially where English would often use to
• radim = I work / I am working
• kasno = late

So literally, the structure is something like I do not like that I work late, but the natural English meaning is I don’t like working late or I don’t like to work late.

In Serbian, negation is usually made by putting ne before the verb.

So:

• volim = I like
• ne volim = I do not like

This is a very common pattern:

• znam → ne znam = I know → I don’t know
• radim → ne radim = I work / am working → I don’t work / am not working

So ne is the normal way to negate the verb here.

This is one of the most important patterns in Serbian.

Where English often uses to + verb, Serbian very often uses:

• da
  • present tense verb

So:

• I want to go → Želim da idem
• I like to work → Volim da radim

That is why you get ne volim da radim.

A learner might expect something closer to an infinitive, but in standard Serbian, da + present is extremely common and very natural.

Yes, you may hear or see that, but Ne volim da radim kasno is the more typically Serbian way.

A few useful points:

• raditi is the infinitive
• da radim is the da + present construction
• In Serbian, da + present is usually the default natural choice in sentences like this

So for a learner of Serbian, Ne volim da radim kasno is the form to remember first.

Radim is the 1st person singular present tense of raditi, so it means I work or I am working.

That matches the subject, which is understood as I:

• (ja) radim = I work

Because Serbian verb endings show the subject clearly, the pronoun ja is usually omitted unless you want emphasis.

So:

• Ne volim da radim kasno = normal
• Ja ne volim da radim kasno = more emphatic, like I don’t like working late

Serbian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

Here:

• volim already means I like
• radim already means I work

So ja is not necessary.

You would add ja only if you want contrast or emphasis, for example:

• Ja ne volim da radim kasno, ali moj brat voli.
• I don’t like working late, but my brother does.

Here da introduces the action that is being liked or not liked.

In other words:

• volim = the main verb, I like
• da radim = the thing I like doing, to work / working

So da is not really translated word-for-word every time. Its job is grammatical: it connects the first verb to the second action.

A very rough way to think of it is:

• volim da radim = I like to work / I like working

Kasno is an adverb, meaning late.

It describes how / when the action happens:

• radim kasno = I work late

Compare:

• kasan = late as an adjective in some uses, with gender/number forms
• kasno = late as an adverb

Here you need the adverb, because it modifies the verb radim, not a noun.

Yes, voleti can mean both to love and to like, depending on context.

For example:

• Volim te. = I love you
• Volim kafu. = I like coffee
• Volim da radim rano. = I like working early

In Ne volim da radim kasno, it clearly means I don’t like, not a dramatic I don’t love.

Because the sentence talks about an ongoing or habitual kind of action: working late in general.

In Serbian, raditi is an imperfective verb, and that fits this meaning well:

• repeated action
• general activity
• process, not completion

A perfective verb would usually suggest a completed action, which would not sound natural here. The sentence is about the experience or habit of working late, not about finishing one single task.

Yes, Serbian word order is somewhat flexible, but not every version sounds equally neutral.

The most neutral form here is:

• Ne volim da radim kasno.

You could also move things around for emphasis, for example:

• Kasno ne volim da radim. = emphasizes late
• Ja ne volim da radim kasno. = emphasizes I

But for a learner, the original order is the best and most natural one to use first.

Usually it is understood as a general statement:

• I don’t like working late
• I don’t like to work late

The present tense in Serbian often covers habitual meaning, just like in English.

If you wanted to be more specifically about the current moment or situation, the wider context would usually make that clear. On its own, this sentence sounds like a general preference.

Yes. Both are good English translations.

That is because volim / ne volim + da + present can often correspond to either:

• like to do
• like doing

So:

• Ne volim da radim kasno = I don’t like to work late
• Ne volim da radim kasno = I don’t like working late

The difference in English is very small here, and Serbian does not make a strong distinction in this sentence.