mou4 mai5 zi1 ceoi1無米之炊无米之炊

Jyutpingmou4 mai5 zi1 ceoi1

Yalemòuh máih jī chēui

Definition

An impossibility; a task that cannot be completed due to a lack of necessary materials or resources.

colloquialworkother

How it's used

This idiom is almost always used in the full phrase 巧婦難為無米之炊, which literally translates to even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice. It is frequently applied to professional or project management contexts when someone is asked to achieve a goal while being denied the essential budget, staff, or materials required to succeed.

Examples

mou5冇cin2錢maai5買liu2料，zan1真hai6係haau2巧fu5婦naan4難wai2為mou4無mai5米zi1之ceoi1炊aa4呀。

Without money to buy ingredients, it is truly impossible to make something out of nothing.

gung1公si1司mou5冇zi1資jyun4源，nei5你giu3叫ngo5我dim2點zou6做？gaan2簡zik6直hai6係mou4無mai5米zi1之ceoi1炊。

The company has no resources, so how do you expect me to do it? It is simply impossible to work without the necessary tools.

Common phrases

haau2巧fu5婦naan4難wai2為mou4無mai5米zi1之ceoi1炊

even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal statement about cooking. Remember that it is a metaphorical expression for lacking the necessary resources to complete a task, not a comment on actual kitchen skills.