shuǐ zhōng lāo yuèdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
(lit.) to scoop the moon out of the water (idiom) / (fig.) a hopeless endeavor
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-8efeac983000ce42. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

水中撈月 水中捞月 [shui3 zhong1 lao1 yue4] /(lit.) to scoop the moon out of the water (idiom)/(fig.) a hopeless endeavor/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

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Other forms in these source records: 水中撈月

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.