bàn píng shuǐ xiǎng dīng dāng
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
半
bàn
half
瓶
píng
variant of 瓶[ping2]
水
shuǐ
water
响
xiǎng
echo
叮
dīng
to sting or bite (of mosquito, bee etc)
当
dāng
to be