老而不死是为贼

老而不死是為賊
lǎoérbùsǐshìwéizéi

used to scorn an old person that lacks morality or proper behaviour

Wiktionary

Entry Composition

1 老 lǎo
  1. prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity
  2. old (of people)
  3. venerable (person)
  4. experienced
  5. of long standing
  6. always
  7. all the time
  8. of the past
  9. very
  10. outdated
  11. (of meat etc) tough
2 而 ér
  1. and
  2. as well as
  3. and so
  4. but (not)
  5. yet (not)
  6. (indicates causal relation)
  7. (indicates change of state)
  8. (indicates contrast)
3 不死 bùsǐ to live forever; to be immortal
=4 是 shì
  1. to be (followed by substantives only)
  2. correct; right; true
  3. (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well
  4. (adverb for emphatic assertion)
=4 是 shì variant of 是 shì
=5 为 wéi
  1. as (in the capacity of)
  2. to take sth as
  3. to act as
  4. to serve as
  5. to behave as
  6. to become
  7. to be
  8. to do
  9. by (in the passive voice)
=5 为 wèi
  1. because of
  2. for
  3. to
=5 为 wéi variant of 为 wéi
=5 为 wèi variant of 为 wèi
6 贼 zéi
  1. thief; robber
  2. (bound form) traitor; subversive
  3. (bound form) evil; wicked
  4. sly; shifty; devious
  5. (literary) to harm; to injure
  6. (coll.) extremely; insanely; damn (common in NE China and Taiwan)