This is a book for intermediate-level Chinese learners. It is the first work written aimed at learning the Chengyu, short expressions with a fixed structure that serve to briefly convey complex ideas that would otherwise need a more extensive explanation.

The Chengyu have a cultured origin, usually they come from classical literature. Many of them have an explicit meaning that is the least important, and an implicit one, which is the idea that you really want to convey. This guide consists of more than 600 entries that explain in detail the meaning and use of the chengyu that are used most frequently on a day-to-day basis. It also includes a selection of stories to know their origin, as well as several chapters focused on explaining aspects related to their morphology, formation and transcription.

The work is complemented with appendices and lists, which will facilitate the search for expressions according to their semantic characteristics.