巧妇难为无米之炊

qiǎo fù nán wéi wú mǐ zhī chuī

The cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice (idiom); You won't get anywhere without equipment.

巧

qiǎo

opportunely

妇

fù

woman

难

nán

difficult (to...)

为

wéi

variant of 為|为[wei2]

无

wú

not to have

米

mǐ

uncooked rice

之

zhī

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5])

炊

chuī

to cook food