一心一意

Pronunciation: yī xīn yī yì Literal meaning: One heart one mind

Origin & Usage

One (一) heart (心), one (一) intention (意). The repetition is doing the work: 心 and 意 are separate faculties in Chinese, feeling and purpose, and the phrase insists that both are pointed the same way, which is a stronger claim than concentration alone. Its opposites are instructive — 三心二意, three hearts and two intentions, is the standard word for being half-committed. Study, work and, very commonly, fidelity.

Examples

English: "She dedicated herself wholeheartedly to her research."

Chinese: 她一心一意地投入研究工作。