New Year's resolutions in Chinese 新年目标
xīnnián mùbiāo
New Year's resolution in Chinese is 新年目标 (xīn nián mù biāo).
Also searched for as: New Year resolution, resolutions, New Year goals, new year new me, New Year plans.
New year, new me... at least until February. 15 words and phrases for New Year's resolutions in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The most natural way to say New Year's resolution in Chinese is 新年目标 (xīn nián mù biāo), literally 'new year goal', or 新年愿望 (xīn nián yuàn wàng), 'new year wish'. These words let you talk about the classics, such as 减肥 (jiǎn féi), losing weight, and 戒烟 (jiè yān), quitting smoking, plus the internet slang for what happens next: you 立flag (lì flag), make a bold promise, then suffer from 三分钟热度 (sān fēn zhōng rè dù), enthusiasm that lasts three minutes.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 新年目标 | xīn nián mù biāo | New Year's resolution; goal for the year |
| 新的一年 | xīn de yī nián | the new year |
| 立flag | lì flag | (slang) to make a big promise to oneself |
| 坚持 | jiān chí | to stick with it; to keep going |
| 放弃 | fàng qì | to give up |
| 减肥 | jiǎn féi | to lose weight; to go on a diet |
| 戒烟 | jiè yān | to quit smoking |
| 早睡早起 | zǎo shuì zǎo qǐ | early to bed, early to rise |
| 养成习惯 | yǎng chéng xí guàn | to form a habit |
| 办健身卡 | bàn jiàn shēn kǎ | to get a gym membership |
| 存钱 | cún qián | to save money |
| 读书 | dú shū | to read (books) |
| 打卡 | dǎ kǎ | to log one's progress (lit. to clock in) |
| 三分钟热度 | sān fēn zhōng rè dù | short-lived enthusiasm |
| 打脸 | dǎ liǎn | to be proved wrong; to eat one's words |
Usage tips
- When a promise collapses, people joke 我的flag倒了 (wǒ de flag dǎo le), my flag has fallen, which pairs naturally with 立flag.
- 打卡 (dǎ kǎ) originally means clocking in at work, but it is now used for logging any daily habit on social media, and also for ticking off a famous spot, as in 网红打卡地 (wǎng hóng dǎ kǎ dì), an Instagrammable place.
- 坚持 (jiān chí) is the go-to word for keeping a resolution, and the saying 坚持就是胜利 (jiān chí jiù shì shèng lì), to persevere is to win, is a common bit of encouragement.
Common mistakes
- Using 读书 (dú shū) only for reading books: it also means to study, so 我在读书 can mean I'm a student; for reading for pleasure, 看书 (kàn shū) is the most common everyday phrase.
- Saying 'lose weight' literally as 失去体重; natives say 减肥 (jiǎn féi) or 瘦下来 (shòu xià lái).
Mini dialogue
- A你的新年目标是什么？Nǐ de xīn nián mù biāo shì shén me?What's your New Year's resolution?
- B减肥！我昨天已经去办健身卡了。Jiǎn féi! Wǒ zuó tiān yǐ jīng qù bàn jiàn shēn kǎ le.To lose weight! I got a gym membership yesterday.
- A你去年不是也这么说吗？Nǐ qù nián bù shì yě zhè me shuō ma?Didn't you say that last year too?
- B去年是三分钟热度，今年我一定坚持下去。Qù nián shì sān fēn zhōng rè dù, jīn nián wǒ yī dìng jiān chí xià qù.Last year I lost interest quickly. This year I'm definitely sticking with it.
- A好，那你每天在朋友圈打卡吧。Hǎo, nà nǐ měi tiān zài péng you quān dǎ kǎ ba.Fine, then post your progress on WeChat Moments every day.
- B没问题，这次绝对不会打脸！Méi wèn tí, zhè cì jué duì bù huì dǎ liǎn!No problem. This time I definitely won't eat my words!
Example sentences
- 你的新年目标是什么？What's your New Year's resolution?
- 新的一年，新的开始。New year, new start.
- 新年第一天我又立flag了。First day of the year and I've made another big promise.
- 关键是要坚持下去。The key is to stick with it.
- 我坚持了两个星期就放弃了。I stuck with it for two weeks and then gave up.
- 今年我一定要减肥！This year I'm definitely losing weight!
- 他的新年目标是戒烟。His New Year's resolution is to quit smoking.
- 我想养成早睡早起的习惯。I want to get into the habit of early nights and early mornings.
- 养成习惯需要时间。Forming a habit takes time.
- 一月份很多人去办健身卡。Lots of people get a gym membership in January.
- 今年我要每个月存钱。This year I'm going to save money every month.
- 我打算每天读书半小时。I'm planning to read for half an hour a day.
- 我每天在朋友圈打卡跑步。I post my runs on WeChat Moments every day.
- 我做什么都是三分钟热度。I lose interest in everything after five minutes.
- 说好不吃甜的，第二天就打脸了。I swore off sweets and ate my words the very next day.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The New Year's resolutions speaking island has 8 everyday questions about New Year's resolutions to prepare your own answers to.