| 作用 | zuò yòng | to act on / to affect / action / function / activity / impact / result / effect / purpose / intent / (suffix) -ation, -tion etc, as in 抑制作用[yi4 zhi4 zuo4 yong4], inhibition |   |
| 意图 | yì tú | intent / intention / to intend | |
| 意向 | yì xiàng | intention / purpose / intent / inclination / disposition | |
| 意旨 | yì zhǐ | intent / intention / will | |
| 旨趣 | zhǐ qù | purport / intent | |
| 意向书 | yì xiàng shū | letter of intent (LOI) (commerce) | |
| 歹意 | dǎi yì | evil intent / malice | |
| 有口无心 | yǒu kǒu wú xīn | to speak harshly but without any bad intent (idiom) | |
| 项庄舞剑 | Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn | lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] (idiom, refers to plot to kill Liu Bang during the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hong2 men2 yan4] in 206 BC) / fig. an elaborate deception hiding malicious intent | |
| 犯意 | fàn yì | criminal intent | |
| 项庄舞剑，意在沛公 | Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn , yì zài Pèi Gōng | lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] (idiom) / refers to 206 BC plot to murder Liu Bang, aka Duke of Pei 沛公[Pei4 gong1] and the future Han emperor, during a sword dance at the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hong2 men2 yan4] / an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent | |
| 意向声明 | yì xiàng shēng míng | declaration of intent | |
| 意向备忘录 | | memorandum of intent | |
| 好心倒做了驴肝肺 | hǎo xīn dào zuò le lu:2 gān fēi | lit. to mistake good intentions for a donkey's liver and lungs (idiom) / fig. to mistake good intentions for ill intent | |
| 图穷匕见 | tú qióng bǐ xiàn | lit. the assassin's dagger, concealed in a map scroll, is suddenly revealed when the map is unrolled (referring to the attempted assassination of Ying Zheng 嬴政[Ying2 Zheng4] by Jing Ke 荊軻|荆轲[Jing1 Ke1] in 227 BC) (idiom) / fig. malicious intent suddenly becomes apparent | |
