- 巧妇难为无米之炊 qiǎofùnánwéiwúmǐzhīchuī even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without riceEven the most capable person cannot accomplish anything without the necessary means or materials.
- 巧妇做不得无面馎饦 qiǎofùzuòbùdéwúmiànbótuō even the cleverest housewife cannot make noodles without flourit is impossible to accomplish a task without the necessary resources; synonymous with the phrase describing a housewife unable to cook without rice
- 巧妇常伴拙夫眠 qiǎofùchángbànzhuōfūmián smart girls often have dull husbandsa clever woman is often paired with a clumsy or dull husband; a common observation about the irony of mismatched marriages
