new year resolutions in Chinese

Learn Chinese: YOUR New Year’s Resolutions in Mandarin Chinese

In Practical Chinese Phrases by Angel Huang

Do you want to kickstart 2024 with a New Year's resolution in Chinese?

In this lesson, you'll learn the most useful Mandarin words and phrases to express your goals and aspirations for the upcoming year. (Things you want to quitstart and accomplish!) 

新年快乐! Happy New Year! 

Summary Of Asking "Setting New Year’s Resolutions in Chinese"  From The Video Above

大家好! Do you wanna kick off the New Year with a resolution? 

Today we’re gonna learn the most useful Chinese words to talk about 

  • Bad habits you want to quit
  • Good habits you want to build
  • Things you want to accomplish in the new year

Question 1:

Nǐ yǒu yīgè xiǎng yào jiè diào de huài xíguàn ma? 

你有一个想要戒掉的坏习惯吗?

Do you have a bad habit you want to quit?

Answer 1:

En en! Hǎo wèntí!
嗯嗯!好问题!
Hmm! Good question!

Wǒ de huài xíguàn tǐng duō de.
我的坏习惯挺多的。
I have quite a few bad habits.

Wǒ chángcháng luàn huā qián, shuì qián wán shǒujī, tuōyánzhèng,
我常常乱花钱,睡前玩手机,拖延症,
I often spend money recklessly, use my phone before sleep, procrastinate,

hái yǒu měi tiān chī qiǎokèlì, hé hěn duō kāfēi děngděng.
还有每天吃巧克力,喝很多咖啡等等。
and eat chocolate every day, along with drinking a lot of coffee, and so on.

Rúguǒ fēi yào xuǎn yīgè huài xíguàn jiè diào dehuà, wǒ jiù yào jiè táng.
如果非要选一个坏习惯戒掉的话,我就要糖。
If I had to choose one bad habit to quit, I would quit sugar.

Wǒ yào jiè qiǎokèlì, jiè miánhuātáng, jiè dàngāo, jiè bīngqílín...
我要巧克力,棉花糖,蛋糕,冰淇淋...
I want to quit chocolate, marshmallows, cakes, ice cream...

Wǒ yào jiè suǒyǒu hán táng de tiándiǎn.
我要所有含糖的甜点。
I want to quit all sugary desserts.

Key Language:

1) “坏习惯” huài xíguàn means bad habit. 

2) "戒掉" (jiè diào) is a verb phrase that means "to quit" or "to give up" a habit or behavior. 

Example sentence : 

我决定戒掉抽烟的坏习惯。 

Wǒ juédìng jiè diào chōuyān de huài xíguàn.

I have decided to quit the bad habit of smoking.

3) "戒" (jiè) is a verb that means "to quit" or "to abstain" from something. It is often used in combination with specific objects or substances.

Answer 2:

Wǒ yǒu yī duī de huài xíguàn,
我有一堆的坏习惯,
I have a bunch of bad habits,

wǒ juéde xūyào gǎidiào de huài xíguàn bù zhì yīgè.
我觉得需要改掉的坏习惯不至一个。
and I feel that there is more than one bad habit that needs to be changed.

Shǒuxiān, wǒ xīwàng nénggòu gǎidiào áoyè de huài xíguàn,
首先我希望能够改掉熬夜的坏习惯,
Firstly, I hope to able to quit the bad habit of staying up late,

yǎngchéng zǎoshuì zǎoqǐ de hǎo xíguàn.
养成早睡早起的好习惯。
and develop the good habit of going to bed early and waking up early.

Lìngwài, wǒ hái xīwàng nénggòu gǎidiào wǎnshàng chī yèxiāo de huài xíguàn,
另外我还希望能够改掉晚上吃夜宵的坏习惯,
Additionally, I also hope to be able to quit the bad habit of eating late-night snacks,

yǎngchéng jiànkāng yǐnshí de hǎo xíguàn.
养成健康饮食的好习惯。
and develop the good habit of having a healthy diet.

Zuìhòu, wǒ fēicháng fēicháng xīwàng nénggòu gǎidiào bàntú'érfèi de huài xíguàn,
最后我非常非常希望能够改掉半途而废的坏习惯,
Lastly, I really, really hope to be able to quit the bad habit of giving up halfway,

yǎngchéng chízhīyǐhéng de hǎo xíguàn.
养成持之以恒的好习惯。
and develop the good habit of perseverance.

Key Language:

1) The sequence words "首先" (shǒuxiān), "另外" (lìngwài), and "最后" (zuìhòu) are used to organize ideas into a clear order.

2) The sentence pattern "我希望能够..." (wǒ xīwàng nénggòu...) translates to "I hope to be able to...". It is used to express a desire or aspiration to accomplish something. 

Let's see how to use this pattern:

Example sentence 1: 

我希望能够学会弹钢琴。

wǒ xīwàng nénggòu xuéhuì tán gāngqín.

I hope to be able to learn how to play the piano.

Example sentence 2: 

我希望能够旅行到世界各地。

wǒ xīwàng nénggòu lǚxíng dào shìjiè gèdì.

I hope to be able to travel to different parts of the world.

3) "养成" (yǎng chéng) is a verb phrase that means "to develop" a habit or behavior.

 4)"半途而废" (bàn tú ér fèi) is an idiom that means to "to give up halfway". So you start something, but don’t complete it due to a lack of perseverance or determination.

5) "持之以恒" (chí zhī yǐ héng) is an idiom that means "to persevere". It emphasizes the importance of consistent effort over time.

Answer 3:

Yào gǎi de yī gè huài xíguàn a, wǒ xiǎng xiǎng...
要改的一个坏习惯啊,我想想......
A bad habit that I want to change, let me think...

Wǒ kěyǐ duōshǎo duō shuō jǐ gè ma?
我可以多少多说几个吗?
Can I mention a few more?

Wǒ yào shǎo chī lājī shípǐn,
我要吃垃圾食品,
I want to eat less junk food,

duō chī gāo dàngbǎi, gāo zhīfáng, dī tànshuǐ de yǒujī shípǐn.
吃高蛋白,高脂肪,低碳水的有机食品。
and eat more high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate organic food.

Wǒ yào shǎo huāqián, duō cúnqián.
我要花钱,存钱。
I want to spend less money and save more.

Wǒ yào shǎo shàng shèjiāo méitǐ, duō kànshū hé jiànshēn.
我要上社交媒体,看书和健身。
I want to spend less time on social media and spend more time reading and exercising.

Key Language:

The sentence pattern "少......,多......" (shǎo..., duō...) translates to "less..., more...". You’re reducing one thing while increasing another thing.

Example sentence 1: 

玩手机,和家人交流。

shǎo wán shǒujī, duō hé jiārén jiāoliú.

Use the phone less, communicate more with family.

Example sentence 2: 

吃零食,吃水果和蔬菜。

shǎo chī língshí, duō chī shuǐguǒ hé shūcài.

Eat fewer snacks, eat more fruits and vegetables.

Question 2:

Nǐ néng xiǎng chū yīgè nǐ xiǎng kāishǐ de hǎo xíguàn ma?

你能想出一个你想开始的好习惯吗?

Can you think of a good habit you want to start?

Answer 1:

Xīn de yī nián, wǒ yào kāishǐ měi tiān màn zǒu yī wàn bù, jiānchí měi tiān yùndòng.
新的一年,我要开始每天慢走一万步,坚持每天运动。
In the new year, I want to start walking 10,000 steps every day and commit to daily exercise.

Key Language:

The word "开始" (kāishǐ) means "to start"

wǒ míngnián kāishǐ xuéxí jítā.

我明年开始学习吉他。

I will start learning the guitar next year.

Answer 2:

dǎsuàn měi tiān xuéxí Hànyǔ yī gè xiǎoshí, duō tīng duō shuō Hànyǔ.
打算每天学习汉语一个小时,多听多说汉语。
I plan to study Chinese for one hour every day and practice listening and speaking Chinese more.

Key Language:

The word "打算" (dǎsuàn) means "to intend" or "to plan"

dǎsuàn míngnián qù lǚxíng.

打算明年去旅行。

I intend to travel next year.

Answer 3:

jìhuà guǎnlǐ hǎo wǒ de shíjiān,
计划管理好我的时间,
I plan to manage my time well,

tíngzhǐ tuōyán, yǒngyǒu gèng hǎo de gōngzuò hé shēnghuó píng héng.
停止拖延,拥有更好的工作和生活平衡。
stop procrastinating and achieve a better work-life balance.

Key Language:

"计划" (jì huà) means "plan" or "to plan." 

jìhuà tíngzhǐ tuōyán.

计划停止拖延。

I plan to stop procrastinating.

Question 3:

Nǐ xiǎng zài 2024 nián dǐ qián wánchéng nǎ sān jiàn shì?

你想在2024年底前完成哪三件事?

What are the three things you want to accomplish by the end of 2024?

Answer 1:

Dì yī, wǒ yào chénggōng jiǎndiào 5 gōngjīn, měi zhōu jiànshēn sān cì,
第一,我要成功减掉5公斤,每周健身三次,
First, I want to successfully lose 5 kilograms, exercise three times a week,

bǎochí gèng hǎo de shēncái.
保持更好的身材。
and maintain a better physique.

Dì èr, wǒ yào xuéhuì kāichē, ná dào jiàzhào.
第二,我要学会开车,拿到驾照。
Second, I want to learn how to drive and obtain a driver's license.

Dì sān, wǒ yào jièdiào áoyè de huài xíguàn,
第三,我要戒掉熬夜的坏习惯
Third, I want to quit the bad habit of staying up late,

yǎngchéng měi wǎn shí diǎn qián shuìjiào de hǎo xíguàn.
养成每晚十点前睡觉的好习惯。
and develop the good habit of going to bed before 10 PM every night.

Key Language:

1)"成功减掉5公斤" translates to "successfully lose 5 kilograms" in English.

2) "保持更好的身材" means to "maintain a better physique". It is used to describe the action of sustaining a healthier and more desirable body shape or figure.

3)"戒掉熬夜的坏习惯" translates to "quit the bad habit of staying up late"

Answer 2:

Shǒuxiān, wǒ bìxū wánchéng wǒ de Hànyǔ tīnglì kèchéng,
首先,我必须完成我的汉语听力课程,
First, I must complete my Chinese listening course,

bùyòng kàn zìmù yě néng tīngdǒng Zhōngwén diànshìjù lǐ de táicí.
不用看字幕也能听懂中文电视剧里的台词。
being able to understand dialogue in Chinese TV dramas without relying on subtitles.

Ránhòu, wǒ bìxū měi gè yuè cún yīqiān kuài, shǎo huāqián, duō cúnqián.
然后,我必须每个月存一千块,少花钱,多存钱。
Then, I must save one thousand yuan every month, spend less money, and save more.

Zuìhòu, wǒ bìxū duō péibàn jiārén, duō hé fùmǔ jiànmiàn,
最后,我必须多陪伴家人,多和父母见面,
Finally, I must spend more time with my family, meet with my parents more often,

duō hé lǎogōng lǚyóu, duō hé xiǎohái wánshuǎ,
多和老公旅游,多和小孩玩耍
travel with my spouse more, and play with my children more,

zuò yīgè gèng hǎo de nǚ'ér, lǎopó hé māmā.
做一个更好的女儿,老婆和妈妈。
becoming a better daughter, wife, and mother.

Key Language:

1)"我必须每个月存一千块'' means "I must save one thousand yuan every month" . This structure expresses the necessity to save a specific amount of money on a monthly basis.

2)"多陪伴家人" translates to "spend more time with family" in English. It emphasizes the importance of being present in the lives of your family members.

Answer 3:

Wǒ yào guòshàng jíjiǎn de shēnghuó,
我要过上极简的生活,
I want to live a minimalist life,

shǎo mǎi yīfu, xiézi, shìpǐn, diànzǐ chǎnpǐn děngděng bù bìyào de dōngxi.
少买衣服,鞋子,饰品,电子产品等等不必要的东西。
buy fewer clothes, shoes, accessories, electronics, and other unnecessary things.

Wǒ yào màn xiàlái, měitiān zuò zuò yújiā, dào hǎitān sàn sàn bù,
我要慢下来,每天做做瑜伽,到海滩散散步,
I want to slow down, do yoga every day, take walks on the beach,

yǎnghuā yǎngcǎo, yǎng māo yǎng gǒu.
养花养草,养猫养狗。
take care of plants, have cats and dogs as pets.

hái yǒu wǒ yào huánqīng fángdài, shíxiàn cáiwù zìyóu.
还有我要还清房贷,实现财务自由。
Additionally, I want to pay off my mortgage and achieve financial freedom.

Key Language:

1)The phrase "我要过上极简的生活" translates to "I want to live a minimalist life". It expresses the desire to prioritize experiences over material possessions.

2)"还清房贷" means to "pay off the mortgage" in English. It refers to the act of fully repaying the loan taken for a house or property.

3)The phrase "实现财务自由" translates to "achieve financial freedom". It describes the state of having enough financial means to live life on your own terms.

And that, my friends, marks the end of this lesson on New Year’s Resolutions in Chinese! I hope it helps you express your goals for the new year.

Now before we wrap up, I'd love to hear from you. 

你的新年决心是什么?

Nǐ de xīnnián juéxīn shì shénme?

What's your New Year's resolution? 

Thank you for watching! 新年快乐 (Xīnnián kuàilè) Happy New Year! 

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