Meaning
To act in a way below one's age.
Cultural Background
In villages, the 'second childhood' was accepted as a natural stage of life, often handled with patience and humor by the community. Younger generations use the phrase to describe the 'kidult' trend—adults who collect toys or play video games. Ion Creangă, the most famous Romanian storyteller, often used such idioms to create a vivid, nostalgic atmosphere of childhood and old age. Similar concepts exist in Bulgarian and Serbian culture, where the cycle of life is viewed with a mix of fatalism and irony.
Use for Teasing
It's a great way to tease a friend who is being silly without being too mean.
Sensitivity
Be careful using it for actual dementia; some families might find it too informal for such a sad situation.
Meaning
To act in a way below one's age.
Use for Teasing
It's a great way to tease a friend who is being silly without being too mean.
Sensitivity
Be careful using it for actual dementia; some families might find it too informal for such a sad situation.
Conjugation is Key
Master the verb 'a da' in the past tense (a dat) as that's how you'll use it 90% of the time.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb 'a da'.
Bunicul meu are 90 de ani și a ___ în mintea copiilor.
The past participle of 'a da' is 'dat'.
Which situation best fits the idiom 'a da în mintea copiilor'?
Alege situația corectă:
The idiom refers to adults acting like children.
Match the Romanian phrase with its English meaning.
Potrivește perechile:
Basic vocabulary matching.
Complete the dialogue.
Andrei: 'Vreau să cumpăr acest ursuleț de pluș uriaș!' Ioana: 'Andrei, ai 35 de ani! Ai ___?'
The correct verb for this idiom is 'a da'.
Match the tone of the phrase to the context.
În ce context 'a da în mintea copiilor' este folosit cu tristețe?
In the context of illness/aging, the phrase takes on a somber tone.
🎉 Score: /5
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
5 exercisesBunicul meu are 90 de ani și a ___ în mintea copiilor.
The past participle of 'a da' is 'dat'.
Alege situația corectă:
The idiom refers to adults acting like children.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Basic vocabulary matching.
Andrei: 'Vreau să cumpăr acest ursuleț de pluș uriaș!' Ioana: 'Andrei, ai 35 de ani! Ai ___?'
The correct verb for this idiom is 'a da'.
În ce context 'a da în mintea copiilor' este folosit cu tristețe?
In the context of illness/aging, the phrase takes on a somber tone.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsIt depends on the tone. It can be a playful tease or a slightly sad observation about old age, but it's rarely a harsh insult.
Usually no. It's for adults acting like kids or the very elderly. For a teenager, you'd just say 'ești imatur'.
There isn't a direct idiomatic opposite, but 'a fi cu picioarele pe pământ' (to be grounded) is a good contrast.
It is 'noi dăm'. Example: 'Noi dăm în mintea copiilor când ne jucăm board games.'
Yes, very often in classical Romanian literature to describe village life.
No, the idiom is fixed with 'copiilor'. Changing it sounds like a mistake.
In one of its senses, yes, but it's much more informal and descriptive of behavior rather than a medical diagnosis.
Absolutely not. It is way too informal and implies a lack of professional maturity.
Yes, 'a se copilări' is a common alternative, or 'a o arde copilărește'.
Because you are 'entering' a state of mind, and 'în' expresses movement into something.
Related Phrases
A se copilări
synonymTo act like a child
A fi în mintea a doua
similarTo be in one's second childhood
A-i lipsi o doagă
similarTo have a screw loose
A fi cu capul în nori
contrastTo have one's head in the clouds
