Подожди здесь, пока я не вернусь.

English Translation

Wait here until I come back.

Why is it ‘я не вернусь’ and not simply ‘я вернусь’ ?

Though I have a tough time internalizing this pattern, I believe the idea is “Wait here throughout the period during which I haven’t returned.” In other words, the focus is on the period before the speaker returns. This is different from English, where the focus is on the moment when the speaker returns.

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