えん
猿
こう
猴
つき
月
　
を
と
取
　
る

expression, Godan verb

Idiomatic expression.
  1. to try and reach above one's station and fail, to try and accomplish something beyond one's abilities and fail, a monkey tries to catch the moon (and drowns).

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
えん
猿
こう
猴
つき
月
　
を
と
取
　
る
 猿猴月を取る えんこうつきをとる

Contained Kanji Breakdown

monkey
さる　ざる　エン (Early High School, N1)
dog, (犬 variant)
long kimono
エン　オン (Kentei 1)
good luck, (吉 variant)
soil, earth, ground
ド　つち　は (1st, N5)
mouth
くち　コウ　ク (1st, N4)
garment, clothes, dressing
イ　ころも　きぬ (4th, N2)
kettle lid radical (no. 8)
トウ (Kentei 1)
garment, (衣 variant)
monkey
コウ　さる (Kentei 1)
dog, (犬 variant)
marquis, lord, daimyo
コウ (Early High School, N1)
human radical (no. 9)
yu
dart, arrow
や　シ (2nd, N1)
person, (人 variant)
large, big
ダイ　おお-　た (1st, N5)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
person
ひと　ニン　ジン (1st, N5)
month, moon
つき　ゲツ　ガツ (1st, N5)
take, fetch, take up
と.る　シュ　とり (3rd, N3)
ear
みみ　ジ　がみ (1st, N3)
or again, furthermore, on the other hand
また　ユウ　やす (Late Jr. High, N1)