牡丹虽好，终须绿叶扶持

牡丹雖好，終須綠葉扶持
mǔdansuīhǎo,zhōngxūlǜyèfúchí
Although the peony is beautiful, it depends entirely on help from the green leaves (idiom). However brilliant you may be, you can't do anything without support from others.

CEDICT

Entry Composition

1 牡丹 mǔdan tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa)
2 虽 suī
  1. although
  2. even though
3 好 hǎo
  1. good
  2. appropriate; proper
  3. all right!
  4. (before a verb) easy to
  5. (before a verb) good to
  6. (before an adjective for exclamatory effect) so
  7. (verb complement indicating completion)
  8. (of two people) close; on intimate terms
  9. (after a personal pronoun) hello
4 终 zhōng
  1. end
  2. finish
=5 须 xū
  1. must
  2. to have to
  3. to wait
=5 须 xū
  1. beard
  2. mustache
  3. feeler (of an insect etc)
  4. tassel
6 绿叶 lǜyè
  1. green leaf
  2. (fig.) actor playing a supporting role
7 扶持 fúchí
  1. to help
  2. to assist

Related entries

牡丹虽好，全仗绿叶扶 mǔdansuīhǎo,quánzhànglǜyèfú Although the peony is beautiful, it depends entirely on help from the green leaves (idiom). However brilliant you may be, you can't do anything without support from others.
牡丹虽好，全仗绿叶扶持 mǔdansuīhǎo,quánzhànglǜyèfúchí Although the peony is beautiful, it depends entirely on help from the green leaves (idiom). However brilliant you may be, you can't do anything without support from others.
牡丹虽好，全凭绿叶扶持 mǔdansuīhǎo,quánpínglǜyèfúchí Although the peony is beautiful, it depends entirely on help from the green leaves (idiom). However brilliant you may be, you can't do anything without support from others.