巧媳妇煮不得没米粥
qiǎo​xí​fù​zhǔ​bù​dé​méi​mǐ​zhōu

even a clever housewife cannot cook rice porridge without rice

  1. 巧 qiǎo adjective
    skillful
    skillful; ingenious; clever in a way that shows dexterity or high technique
  2. 媳妇 媳婦 xí​fu noun
    wife
    (dialectal or northern usage) one's wife; a young married woman
  3. 煮 zhǔ verb
    to boil
    to cook or heat food and other items in boiling water; to boil
  4. 不得 bu​de adverb
    [potential]
    Used after a verb or adjective to express that something is impossible or not permitted.
  5. 没 沒 méi verbadverb
    not have
    To be without something; to lack or not possess.
  6. 米粥 mǐ​zhōu
    congee
    rice gruel; congee