一心一意

• Pinyin: yī xīn yī yì
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = one/single; 心 = heart (emotions, inner feeling); 一 = one/single; 意 = 音 + 心 (sound + heart — intention, will, true inner purpose)

Meaning

Wholeheartedly and single-mindedly; with complete, undivided devotion. Idiom emphasising that both one's heart and will are entirely focused on a single person, goal, or pursuit.

Stronger and more emphatic than 一心. Used for deep dedication to a career, a relationship, or a cause. 一心一意地爱 (to love with one's whole heart), 一心一意干事业 (devoted entirely to one's career). Implies no distractions, no divided loyalties, and pure, unwavering single-focus commitment. Contrast 三心二意 (half-hearted, wavering).

Examples

1. 他一心一意地投入到非遗技艺的传承工作中，拒绝了多家企业的高薪邀请，只愿在工作室里教徒弟、做漆器。 He devoted himself wholeheartedly to passing on an intangible cultural heritage craft, turning down high-paying offers from multiple companies and choosing instead to teach apprentices and make lacquerware in his studio.
2. 父母一心一意地供孩子读书，省吃俭用二十年，终于看到儿子在学术领域闯出了一片天地。 His parents devoted themselves wholeheartedly to putting him through school, living frugally for twenty years, and finally saw their son carve out a place for himself in academia.
3. 公司需要的是一心一意专注于本职工作的人才，而非三心二意、频繁跳槽的短期过客。 What the company needs are people who devote themselves wholeheartedly to their work—not short-term drifters who are half-committed and job-hop frequently.

Usage Guide

Context: relationships, career, moral discourse, narrative

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 这位科研人员在偏远山站一心一意坚守二十年，积累了完整的高原气候数据。(This researcher stayed single-mindedly at a remote mountain station for twenty years, building complete plateau climate data.)
• 那个年代的教育工作者普遍一心一意扑在教学上，备课、家访与辅导课后学生占据了他们大量的个人时间，却很少有人抱怨。(Educators of that era generally devoted themselves wholeheartedly to teaching; lesson preparation, home visits, and after-school tutoring consumed a great deal of their personal time, yet few ever complained.)

Don't Say

• 她一心一意做了很多事情 — 一心一意 implies singular, undivided focus on one thing; doing many things is definitionally incompatible; use 全力以赴 or 尽心尽力 if the meaning is doing everything with full effort

Origin & History

一 (one/single) + 心 (heart — feelings, emotional commitment) + 一 (one/single) + 意 (will/intention — 音 sound + 心 heart; what the heart truly intends)

Cultural Context

Era: Classical/Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal