半瓶水响叮当

Traditional: 半瓶水響叮噹

bàn píng shuǐ xiǎng dīng dāng

Dictionary entry

lit. if you tap a half-empty bottle it makes a sound (idiom)

What does 半瓶水响叮当 mean?

半瓶水响叮当 (bàn píng shuǐ xiǎng dīng dāng) has the following dictionary meaning.

1lit. if you tap a half-empty bottle it makes a sound (idiom)

2fig. empty vessels make the most noise

3one who has a little knowledge likes to show off, but one who is truly knowledgeable is modest

Character breakdown

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半bànhalf · semi-瓶píngbottle · vase 水Shuǐsurname Shui · Shui ethnic group 响xiǎngecho · sound 叮dīngto sting or bite (of mosquito, bee etc) · to say repeatedly 当dāng(onom.) dong · ding dong (bell)

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How to pronounce 半瓶水响叮当

半瓶水响叮当

bàn píng shuǐ xiǎng dīng dāng

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Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.