半瓶水响叮当 (半瓶水響叮噹)
bàn píng shuǐ xiǎng dīng dāng
Pinyin
Definition
半瓶水响叮当 (半瓶水響叮噹)
-
- lit. if you tap a half-empty bottle it makes a sound (idiom)
- fig. empty vessels make the most noise
- one who has a little knowledge likes to show off, but one who is truly knowledgeable is modest
Character Decomposition
Idioms (20)
一清如水
- 1 lit. as clear as water (idiom)
- 2 fig. (of officials etc) honest and incorruptible
一瓶子不响，半瓶子晃荡
- 1 lit. a full bottle makes no sound; a half-filled bottle sloshes (idiom)
- 2 fig. empty vessels make the most noise
一知半解
- 1 lit. to know one and understand half (idiom); a smattering of knowledge
- 2 dilettante
- 3 amateur
一碗水端平
- 1 lit. to hold a bowl of water level (idiom)
- 2 fig. to be impartial
一鳞半爪
- 1 lit. one scale and half a claw (idiom); only odd bits and pieces