全心全意

• Pinyin: quán xīn quán yì
• Hanzi breakdown: 全 = 人 + 王 (complete/whole); 心 = 心 (heart/mind); 意 = 音 + 心 (will/intention — sound from the heart)

Meaning

Wholeheartedly; with all one's heart and soul; complete dedication and sincerity without any reservation.

A fixed four-character expression. 全心全意为人民服务 (serve the people wholeheartedly) is a famous maxim from Mao Zedong's 1944 essay, deeply embedded in political culture. In everyday use, expresses total emotional and practical commitment to a person, cause, or task.

Examples

1. 她全心全意地投入到山区支教工作中，三年间为数百名孩子提供了宝贵的教育机会。 She devoted herself wholeheartedly to teaching in remote mountain areas, providing valuable educational opportunities to hundreds of children over three years.
2. 这位护士在疫情最严峻的时期全心全意地照料每一位患者，展现了医护人员崇高的职业精神。 During the worst period of the pandemic, the nurse cared for every patient with total dedication, demonstrating the noble professional spirit of healthcare workers.
3. 只有全心全意地对待自己的工作，才能在平凡的岗位上创造出真正不平凡的业绩。 Only by dedicating yourself wholeheartedly to your work can you achieve truly extraordinary results in an ordinary position.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, public service, personal relationships, work ethic

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 这支援建队伍全心全意地参与当地的基础设施建设，用两年时间修通了连接三个偏远村庄的公路网络。(This aid-construction team devoted themselves wholeheartedly to local infrastructure construction, completing a road network connecting three remote villages over two years.)
• 他对这段感情全心全意，毫无保留，这种真诚令身边的朋友深受感动。(He committed wholeheartedly and without reservation to this relationship, and his sincerity deeply moved those around him.)

Don't Say

• 我全心全意地喜欢吃火锅 — use 非常喜欢 or 超爱; 全心全意 implies deep moral or emotional commitment and dedication, so using it for casual preferences trivialises the expression

Origin & History

全心 (the whole heart) + 全意 (the whole will/mind) — committing one's complete heart and complete mind without division or reservation

Cultural Context

Era: Maoist era to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal