牡丹虽好，终须绿叶扶持

Traditional form:

牡丹雖好，終須綠葉扶持

Pinyin (reading):

mǔdansuīhǎo,zhōngxūlüyèfúchí

Definitions:

• 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.

Characters:

• 牡 - male animal; key, door bolt
• 丹 - cinnabar, red, vermilion; pellet, powder
• 虽 - although, even though
• 好 - good, excellent, fine; proper, suitable; well
• 终 - end; finally, in the end
• 须 - beard; must; necessary
• 绿 - green; chlorine
• 叶 - leaf, page; surname
• 扶 - to support, to protect, to help
• 持 - to hold, to support, to sustain

Traditional characters:

• 牡 - male animal; key, door bolt
• 丹 - cinnabar, red, vermilion; pellet, powder
• 雖 - although, even though
• 好 - good, excellent, fine; proper, suitable; well
• 終 - end; finally, in the end
• 須 - beard; must; necessary
• 綠 - green; chlorine
• 葉 - leaf, page; surname
• 扶 - to support, to protect, to help
• 持 - to hold, to support, to sustain