Tang Dynasty reigned from 618-907. Apart from political, economic, and military events from its establishment to its collapse; There have been many changes and developments in literature and art. The use of the imperial examination system, which was applied in the selection of civil servants, and in the selection of people dealing with literature and art at the state level, gave not only individuals from noble families but also individuals from all levels of society, especially in literature and arts, the opportunity to work at the state level. In the same direction, it has also enabled diversity in terms of subject and method in the works of people interested in literature. Authors use the usual praise, heroism, etc. in their works. They were able to handle real issues as they were and criticize them. There were no limitations in the content of Tang poetry. The poets could directly describe the past and the events that occurred at that time without the need for allusions. In literary studies, where management provides an opportunity for prosperity and development, poetry has come to the fore and has made greater progress than other literary genres. The Tang Dynasty is known as the period that gave Chinese poetry its golden age, and the poems of this period are referred to as “the art of giving the most meaning with the fewest words”. Since there was a restriction on the number of words, Tang poems were written using writing techniques consisting of five and seven signs.

Considering the length of the Tang period’s rule and the fact that many poets have survived to the present day, it is not possible to examine all poets and their works. For this reason, the poems of Li Bai (李白), one of the most famous, successful, and productive poets of the period, who is known as the immortal poet and is considered the representative of Tang poetry, are discussed in the study. Since it is not possible to examine all the poet’s poems in a single study, the scope of the study is Three Hundred Tang Poems (唐诗三百首), compiled by Gu Qing in 2009 and published by Zhonghua Shuju (中华书局), which is a source book in terms of scope and content for Tang poetry researchers and written in Chinese. A qualitative research design was adopted in the study; The data were collected by a documentary scanning method. The mentioned book contains a total of twenty-six poems reported to have been written by Li Bai. There are fifteen different idioms in eight of these poems. In the study, the poems were translated into Turkish, information was given about their subjects, the idioms in the poems were examined in terms of meaning, and suggestions were made about similar Turkish idioms.

Li Bai lived between 701-762. His real name is Tai Bai. He is a leading poet of the Tang Dynasty. The poet came to Mianzhou (绵州) with his father at the age of five and grew up there. The poet, who had been interested in literature since an early age, attracted attention thanks to this talent. At the age of twenty-five, he wanted to leave the region where he had lived and travel to China. Li Bai, who adopted the Dao teachings, took lessons on this subject. During his time touring the country, he wrote poems, met people who were experts in literature, and became famous for his poetic talent. In 742, he was invited by Tang Emperor Tang Xuanzong (唐玄宗) to the imperial palace in the capital Chang-an. Although Li Bai earned the praise of the emperor during this period, he did not go beyond being hosted as a guest in the palace. The poet left the palace in 744 and came to Luoyang (洛阳). Here, he met Du Fu (杜甫) and Gao Shi (高适), other famous poets of the period. Du Fu wrote many poems dedicated to Li Bai. Li Bai is most famous for his works written in the style of Yuefu (乐府) and four-line poem (绝句). It is known that the poet, who, unlike many Tang poets, lived a wealthy life, was very drunk one night in 762 while walking by a river in Anhui city, wanted to hold the moon reflected in the water, fell into the water, and drowned. 

There are fifteen different idioms in Li Bai’s eight poems in the specified book. There are three idioms in the poem Changgan Song (长干行). These are, Liang xiao wu cai (两小无猜), Qing mei zhu ma (青梅竹马) and Zhuma zhi jiao (竹马之交). There is an idiom in his poem titled (Sent) Poem from Lu Mountain to Lu Xuzhou (庐山谣寄卢侍御虚舟). This idiom is Yin he dao xie (银河倒泻). There is an idiom in the poem titled The Sleepwalker’s Farewell to Tian Mu (The Voice of the Mountain) (梦游天姥吟留别). This idiom is cuī méi zhé yāo (摧眉折腰). This idiom is also spoken today as Dī méi zhé yāo (低眉折腰). There are two phrases in the poem titled “Farewell to Education Secretary Shu Yun” at the Xietiao Building in Xuanzhou (宣州谢眺楼饯别校书叔云). These; jiǔ tiān lǎn yuè (九天揽月) and chōu dāo duàn shuǐ (抽刀断水). Five idioms are identified in the poem It is Difficult to Reach Shu ( 蜀道难). These idioms are, Sharen ru ma (杀人如麻), Di beng shan cui (地崩山摧), Nanyu shang qingtian (难于上青天), Zheng rong cuiwei (峥嵘崔嵬), Yifu dang guan, and wanwan fu mo kai (一夫当关，万夫莫开).

One idiom was identified in the poem “Difficult Journey” (行路难). The idiom is, Chang feng po lang (长风破浪). One idiom is identified in the poem “Invitation to Wine” (将进酒). The idiom is, Zhong gu zhuan yu (钟鼓馔玉). There is an idiom in the poem “Saying Goodbye to a Friend” (送友人). The idiom is, Guren zhi qing (故人之情). 

Among the idioms included in the study, Liang xiao wu cai (两小无猜), Qing mei zhu ma (青梅竹马), Zhuma zhi jiao (竹马之交), Yin he dao xie (银河倒泻), Cui mei zhe yao (摧眉 折腰), Jiu tian lan yue (九天揽月), Chou dao prayan shuai (抽刀断水), Di beng shan cui (地 崩山摧), Nanyu shang qingtian (难于上青天), Zheng rong cuiwéei (峥嵘崔嵬), Guren zhi qing (故人之情) has its origins in Li Bai’s poems: The expressions are, Sharen ru ma (杀人如麻), Yifu dang guan, wan fu mo kai (一夫当关，万夫莫开), Chang feng po lang (长风 破浪), Zhong gu zhuan yu (钟鼓馔玉). It has been seen that it was formed in earlier periods and Li Bai included these idioms in his poems. 

Idioms usually consist of four words. When we look at the poems in general, it can be seen that the idioms that have different functions in terms of grammar in the sentence have a descriptive role in terms of meaning. When the words that comprise the idioms are examined, it is noteworthy that they are easy to understand. Idioms contain metaphors in terms of their general meaning, but these metaphors are generally related to the meaning of words. Idioms contribute to the enrichment of poems in terms of meaning; In the same direction, it is understood that his idioms gain meaning not only from the whole words but also from the entire poems.

Li Bai not only produced poetry but also gave the opportunity to form many idioms through his understanding of artistic expression, word choice, and the meanings he attributed to these words. These idioms have been passed on to subsequent generations for centuries, helping to make the Chinese more vibrant.