Correct

半桶水

/ bàn tǒng shuǐ /
Strokes
https://i.cchatty2.com/filters:format(webp)/fit-in/684x0/img/202102/半桶水-Chinese-idioms-Cchatty-c147ccb2-fc04-4099-85cf-cbf5c0123f9c-1612776573.jpg

Collocation

1
半桶水乱晃荡
2
只是半桶水
3
就是半桶水
4
算是半桶水
5
半桶水的水平

Definition

半桶水

Literally means:

half a pail of water

Actually means:

It figuratively means one has limited skills or ability. It also means having a smattering knowledge. Derogatory.

比喻知识或技能有限的人。也指知识浅薄。 具有贬义色彩。

Example

Used as attributive or object. (作定语、宾语)
1
Yǒuxiē
有些
xuéshēng
大学生
zhǐnéng
只能
suànshì
算是
bàn
tǒng
shuǐ
  
,
shì
可是
jìn
gōng
公司
jiù
xiǎng
dāng
gāo
高级
guǎn
管理
rényuán
人员
  

Some college students can only be considered half a bucket of water, but as soon as they enter the company, they want to be senior managers.

2
lǎoshi
老是
bǎi
chū
shénme
什么
dōu
dǒng
de
yàngzi
样子
  
,
shì
可是
yòu
chūlái
出来
jiějué
解决
wèn
问题
de
bàn
办法
lái
  
,
shì
shí
十足
de
bàn
tǒng
shuǐ
  

He always put on a show that he knew everything, but he couldn't come up with a solution to the problem, and it was a full half-barrel of water.

3
běn
日本
xué
le
5
5
nián
  
,
méi
xiǎngdào
想到
zhī
xué
le
bàn
tǒng
shuǐ
de
日语
  
,
lián
fèn
tong
合同
dōu
xiě
hǎo
不好
  

He went to Japan to study for 5 years, did not expect to learn only half a barrel of water in Japanese, even a contract is not written well.