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 (9th, 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 (9th, 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 (8th, N1)