Chinese word

一心一意

Pronunciation

Pinyinyī xīn yī yì

Meaning

  • idiomwholeheartedly

Example

他一心一意地工作。tā yì xīn yí yì dì gōng zuò

He works wholeheartedly.

Illustration for 一心一意 (wholeheartedly)

More examples

她一心一意地照顾生病的母亲。tā yì xīn yí yì dì zhào gù shēng bìng de mǔ qīn

She wholeheartedly cares for her sick mother.

Core concept

Attention and will point in the same direction, like two inner forces held on one target.

Common phrases

  • 一心一意地学习yì xīn yí yì dì xué xí

    study wholeheartedly

  • 一心一意地照顾孩子yì xīn yí yì dì zhào gù hái zi

    wholeheartedly care for children

Similar words

专心致志zhuān xīn zhì zhì: Concentrating earnestly and applying oneself fully to a task.
全神贯注quán shén guàn zhù: Directing all one's attention and mental energy intensely to one point.
聚精会神jù jīng huì shén: Gathering one's attention and spirit to focus deeply on a task.
心无旁骛xīn wú páng wù: Keeping the mind free from distractions while devoting oneself to one thing.

Definition in Chinese

专心致志地投入一件事，心思和意志集中于同一目标，不被其他事物分散。zhuān xīn zhì zhì dì tóu rù yí jiàn shì xīn sī hé yì zhì jí zhōng yú tóng yí mù biāo bú bèi qí tā shì wù fēn sàn

Word origin

一 (yī, "one") + 心 (xīn, "heart") + 一 + 意 (yì, "intention") presents feeling and purpose as unified, so the four characters suggest complete dedication to one objective.

Usage tips

  • The four-character form commonly makes a statement sound emphatic, so it suits serious commitment to study, work, a project, or a cause.

Other meanings

  • single-mindedlyidiom
  • intentlyidiom

Opposites

  • 三心二意sān xīn èr yìbe of two mindsidiom

Word lists with this word