老而不死是為賊

See also: 老而不死是为贼

Chinese

		old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	not; no	to die; impassable; uncrossable to die; impassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid	be; yes; this	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	thief
trad. (老而不死是為賊/老而不死是爲賊)		老	而	不	死	是	為/爲	賊
simp. (老而不死是为贼)		老	而	不	死	是	为	贼

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 14 (《論語·憲問》):

原壤夷俟。子曰：「幼而不孫弟，長而無述焉，老而不死，是為賊！」以杖叩其脛。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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原壤夷俟。子曰：「幼而不孙弟，长而无述焉，老而不死，是为贼！」以杖叩其胫。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Yuán Rǎng yí sì. Zǐ yuē: “Yòu ér bù xùn tì, zhǎng ér wú shù yān, lǎo ér bù sǐ, shì wéi zéi!” Yǐ zhàng kòu qí jìng. [Pinyin]

Yuan Rang was squatting on his heels, and so waited the approach of the Master, who said to him, "In youth not humble as befits a junior; in manhood, doing nothing worthy of being handed down; and living on to old age - this is to be a pest." With this he hit him on the shank with his staff.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lǎo ér bù sǐ shì wéi zéi

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˇ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄙˇ ㄕˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄗㄟˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lou⁵ ji⁴ bat¹ sei² si⁶ wai⁴ caak⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lǎo ér bù sǐ shì wéi zéi
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˇ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄙˇ ㄕˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄗㄟˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lǎo ér bù sǐh shìh wéi zéi
    • Wade–Giles: lao³ êrh² pu⁴ ssŭ³ shih⁴ wei² tsei²
    • Yale: lǎu ér bù sž shr̀ wéi dzéi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lao erl bu syy shyh wei tzeir
    • Palladius: лао эр бу сы ши вэй цзэй (lao er bu sy ši vɛj czɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡seɪ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lou⁵ ji⁴ bat¹ sei² si⁶ wai⁴ caak⁶
    • Yale: lóuh yìh bāt séi sih wàih chaahk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lou⁵ ji⁴ bat⁷ sei² si⁶ wai⁴ tsaak⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: lou⁵ yi⁴ bed¹ séi² xi⁶ wei⁴ cag⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lou̯¹³ jiː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ sei̯³⁵ siː²² wɐi̯²¹ t͡sʰaːk̚²/

Idiom

老而不死是為賊

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