三心二意
- Literal
- three hearts, two minds
- Figurative
- To be half-hearted and of two minds, hesitating between options instead of committing fully to one thing.
Where does 三心二意 come from?
It does not come from a specific tale: it is a colloquial set phrase, very common in the vernacular literature of the Yuan and Ming periods (drama and fiction). It is built from two parallel pairs —the numbers "three" and "two" alongside 心 (heart) and 意 (mind)— which reinforce the sense of a divided mind. The wording evokes someone whose attention is split and who therefore commits to nothing wholeheartedly.
How is 三心二意 used? Two examples
- 做事要专心，不能三心二意。
You have to focus on what you do; you can't go about it half-heartedly.
- 他对这份工作三心二意，难怪一直做不好。
He's half-hearted about this job, so no wonder he never does it well.
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