1.
duplicity; two-facedness; disloyalty
having hidden intentions or being disloyal to someone while pretending loyalty
二心 describes the state of harboring secret intentions while outwardly showing loyalty. It carries a strongly negative connotation of betrayal or disloyalty.
Etymology
From 二 (two) + 心 (heart/mind), literally "two hearts" — having divided loyalties.
Common patterns
- 二心がない: to be without duplicity, to be sincere
- 二心なく: without reservation, wholeheartedly
- 二心を抱く: to harbor disloyalty
Register
A literary, somewhat old-fashioned word. More commonly encountered in historical dramas, period fiction, and formal contexts than in everyday conversation.