一动不动

• Pinyin: yī dòng bù dòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = single horizontal stroke (one — used here as an intensifying prefix); 动 = simplified 動 = 重 + 力 (heavy + strength — applying force to make something move); 不 = negation particle

Meaning

Completely motionless; not moving a muscle. Describes a state of absolute stillness, whether from tension, concentration, exhaustion, or deliberate control.

A complement phrase used predicatively or attributively. The structure X不X signals total absence of the action X. 一动不动 emphasises the completeness of the stillness, often over a sustained period. Common contexts: covert surveillance, intense concentration, medical examination, profound shock.

Examples

1. 狙击手在隐蔽处趴伏了将近三个小时，始终一动不动，等待着目标进入最佳射击范围。 The sniper lay concealed for nearly three hours without moving a muscle, waiting for the target to enter the best firing range.
2. 手术室外的走廊上，家属们一动不动地坐在椅子上，每个人的目光都紧盯着那扇手术室的大门。 In the hallway outside the operating room, the family members sat perfectly still, each person staring at the operating room door.
3. 小猫蜷缩在沙发角落里一动不动，兽医检查后发现它因高烧脱水已陷入半昏迷状态。 The kitten was curled up in the corner of the couch and didn’t move at all. After examining it, the vet found it was semi-conscious from a high fever and dehydration.

Usage Guide

Context: narrative, military, medical, daily life

Tone: tense

Do Say

• 考场铃声响起的瞬间，整个大厅内所有考生同时放下笔，一动不动地等待监考员逐排收取答题卡，现场鸦雀无声。(The moment the examination bell rang, all candidates in the hall simultaneously put down their pens and sat completely motionless, waiting for the invigilators to collect the answer sheets row by row; the room was utterly silent.)
• 野外摄影师在草丛中一动不动地等候了四十分钟，终于捕捉到了那只稀有翠鸟俯冲入水捕鱼的珍贵画面。(The wildlife photographer waited completely motionless in the grass for forty minutes, finally capturing the precious footage of that rare kingfisher diving into the water to catch a fish.)

Don't Say

• 一动不动地移动 — logically contradictory; 一动不动 means total absence of movement, so pairing it with any verb of motion is self-defeating; simply use 缓慢地移动 or 悄悄地挪动 if some movement is involved

Origin & History

一 (a/one — expressing totality or completeness) + 动 (to move) + 不 (not) + 动 (move) — the A不A structure negates the action entirely: 'not moving even once'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal