Learn Croatian: Ivanov sin je tek punoljetan i još nije odrastao. - Ivan's son is only just of age and hasn't grown up yet.

While samo means "only" in the sense of "nothing other than", tek is used for time, age, and quantities to mean "only just" or "barely". Saying tek punoljetan emphasizes that he reached this age very recently.

What is the literal breakdown of the word punoljetan?

It comes from pun (full) and ljeto (summer or year), literally meaning "of full years". In Croatian, it is the standard word for someone who is legally "of age" or an adult. The opposite is maloljetan (underage).

How does još change meaning when used with nije?

On its own, još usually means "still" or "more". However, when paired with a negated verb like nije, the phrase translates to "not yet". So, još nije odrastao means he hasn't grown up yet.

Is odrastao acting as a verb or an adjective in this sentence?

It is the past participle of the verb odrasti (to grow up), so together with nije it forms the past tense, meaning "he hasn't grown up". However, in Croatian, this specific participle is also commonly used as a regular adjective to describe someone as "mature" or "grown-up".