For learning foreign language, literature could make an easier and efficient way by offering indirect experience. The study is an attempt to investigate on idioms used in "Hong Lou Meng," the most representative Chinese literature, focusing on not only various features as the results of classification but also the classification process itself, which makes the basis of studies on idioms. In this article, after classifying idiom into Cheng-Yu(成語)ㆍ Su-Yu(俗語) and Xie-Hou-Yu(歇后語), the idioms used in "Hong Lou Meng," were categorized at ≪ Hong Lou Meng Ci Dian≫ by themes and messages. The result of this study is as follows: First, "Hong Lou Meng" shows idioms 120 times and those are classified into three categories; 344 Cheng-Yu(成語), 173 Su-Yu (俗語) and twenty Xie-Hou-Yu(歇后語). Second, the themes of idioms are classified by following criteria; food, clothing, housing, animal, plant, figure, body, tool, number, disease, and etc. “Body” is the most frequently used theme, 45 times, followed by “Number”, 42 times. Third, the messages of idioms are classified into moral lesson, satire, analogy, metaphor and etc. The study shows the author’s ability to make euphemisms, using analogy which generally inherent in idioms. The study also shows various idioms; those which became symbolic over a long period of time, a few contain religious messages, and some derived from ancient events or authentic precedents. The article investigates on various features which were found during the classification process of idioms in “Hong Lou Meng." The investigation make learning Chinese idioms much easier and help understanding culture and tradition in ch’ing dynasty. Furthermore, there would be expected more outcomes and significant results, if a study goes into idioms used in "Hong Lou Meng."

• 최광순(창신대학교 외래강사)