え
絵
　
に
か
描
　
い
　
た
もち
餅

expression

Idiomatic expression.
  1. pie in the sky, castles in the air, drawing of a rice cake.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
え
絵
　
に
か
描
　
い
　
た
もち
餅
 絵に描いた餅 えにかいたもち
え
絵
　
に
か
描
　
い
　
た
もち
餠
 絵に描いた餠 えにかいたもち
え
絵
　
に
　
か
　
い
　
た
もち
餅
 絵にかいた餅 えにかいたもち

Contained Kanji Breakdown

picture, drawing, painting
エ　カイ (2nd, N3)
thread
いと　シ (1st, N2)
short thread radical (no. 52)
ヨウ　ちいさい (Kentei 1)
little, small
ショウ　こ-　ちい.さい (1st, N5)
feathered stick, barb radical (no. 6)
ケツ　かぎ (Kentei 1)
eight, eight radical (no. 12)
ハチ　や　はっ (1st, N5)
meeting, meet, party
カイ　あ.う　エ (2nd, N4)
person
ひと　ニン　ジン (1st, N5)
say
ウン　い.う　ここに (Kentei Pre-1)
two, two radical (no. 7)
ニ　ふた　ふだ (1st, N5)
I, myself, katakana mu radical (no. 28)
シ　ボウ　ム (Kentei 1)
sketch, compose, write
えが.く　か.く　ビョウ (7th, N1)
hand, hand radical (no. 64)
シュ
seedling, sapling, shoot
なえ　ミョウ　ビョウ (8th, N1)
grass, grass radical (no. 140)
rice field, rice paddy
た　デン　たん (1st, N4)
mochi rice cake
もち　ヘイ　ヒョウ (11th)
eat, food, eat radical (no. 184)
person
ひと　ニン　ジン (1st, N5)
good, pleasing, skilled
よ.い　リョウ　ら (4th, N3)
katakana no radical (no. 4)
ヘツ　えい　よう (Kentei 1)
northeast (Oriental zodiac), stopping, good radical (no. 138)
うしとら　コン (Kentei Pre-1)
day, sun, Japan
ひ　にっ　ニチ (1st, N5)
garment, clothes, dressing
イ　ころも　きぬ (4th, N2)
kettle lid radical (no. 8)
トウ (Kentei 1)
garment(衣) variant
put together
ヘイ　ヒョウ　あわ.せる (Kentei 1)
eight, eight radical (no. 12)
ハチ　や　はっ (1st, N5)
dry, parch, ebb
ひ.る　カン　ほ.す (6th, N2)