New Year's Resolutions in Korean: 새해 다짐
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · How we write & review
After this page, you can state your 새해 다짐 (saehae dajim, New Year's resolution) in Korean and joke about 작심삼일.
10-second answer
How do you say new year's resolutions in Korean?
새해 다짐 (saehae dajim, "New Year's resolution") is what Koreans call the goals they set each January — 다짐 literally means "a firm resolve/pledge." The core pattern is simple: 올해는 (olhaeneun) + goal + -고 싶어요/-겠어요 (-go sipeoyo/-gesseoyo, "this year, I want to / will...").
Quick check — did that land?
1. What does 새해 다짐 mean?
올해는 한국어를 열심히 공부하고 싶어요. These are 새해 다짐. Learn more resolution phrases at Dive in Korean.
The Core Pattern
올해는 한국어를 열심히 공부하고 싶어요.
olhaeneun hangugeoreul yeolsimhi gongbuhago sipeoyo.
This year, I want to study Korean hard.
올해 (this year) + -고 싶어요 (want to).
매일 운동하기로 했어요.
maeil undonghagiro haesseoyo.
I've decided to exercise every day.
-기로 하다 — "to decide to," the standard way to state a resolution as a commitment.
새해 목표가 뭐예요?
saehae mokpyoga mwoyeyo?
What's your New Year's goal?
목표 (mokpyo) — goal, often used alongside or instead of 다짐.
The greetings that go with the resolutions are on Happy New Year in Korean.
See also: -고 싶다 — wanting to do something
Common Resolutions
- 다이어트하기 — to diet / lose weight
- 담배를 끊기 — to quit smoking
- 저축하기 — to save money
- 일찍 일어나기 — to wake up early
- 책 많이 읽기 — to read more books
Notice these all end in -기, the noun-forming ending that turns a verb into "the act of [verb]ing" — a natural, list-friendly way to name a habit without a full sentence.
The Self-Aware Joke: 작심삼일
작심삼일 (jaksimsamil, literally "resolve for three days") is a well-known four-character idiom for a resolution that fizzles out almost immediately — the Korean equivalent of joking that your gym membership lasted a week. Koreans use it constantly and self-deprecatingly about their own 새해 다짐.
이번에도 작심삼일이었어요.
ibeone-do jaksimsamirieosseoyo.
This time was another three-day resolve too.
A common, self-aware admission that a resolution didn't stick.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Only using -고 싶어요 for firm commitments
-기로 했어요 ("I've decided to") sounds more resolute than -고 싶어요 ("I want to") — useful when you want to sound serious about a goal.
Mistake #2 — Missing 작심삼일 in conversation
It's such a common idiom that not recognizing it can make a whole joke land flat — worth learning even before you need to use it yourself.
Mini Quiz
2 short questions — about 1 minute
2. What does 작심삼일 humorously describe?
3. What does -기로 했어요 add compared to -고 싶어요?
Part of Korean Culture Explained — Etiquette, Concepts & Holidays
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
One calendar tradition down — next, the very specific (and very commercial) way Korea celebrates Valentine's Day.
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