새해 복 많이 받으세요! (Happy New Year!) It is a great time to take a moment to create your New Year’s resolutions and get motivated for 2018. What are your New Year’s resolutions? If one of them is improving your Korean skills, this post is the right place to start in achieving your new goal as a Korean language learner.

Do you remember how to say “Happy New Year” in Korean?

1. 새해 복 많이 받으십시오. (formal)
2. 새해 복 많이 받으세요. (polite)
3. 새해 복 많이 받아. (informal)

What is your New Year’s resolution? After wishing a Happy New Year to your Korean friends and co-workers, you might have an opportunity to talk about your New Year’s resolution with them. A New Year’s resolution is called “새해 결심 (Saehae Gyeolshim) or 새해 각오 (Saehae Gakoh)” in Korean. The following is an example sentence that you can use when you talk about your new plan or goal for 2018. By simply replacing a noun and verb from the pattern, you can create your own list of New Year’s resolutions. Are you ready to learn how to express your “새해 결심 or 새해 각오” in Korean?

Ex)

1. 제 (my)

2. 새해 결심은: 새해 결심 (New Year’s resolution) + 은 (a topic marker in Korean)

3. 한국어를: 한국어 (a Noun – Korean language) + 를 (an object marker in Korean)

4. 공부하는 거예요: 공부하 (the Verb Stem of 공부하다 – to study) + 는 거예요 (a sentence ending – state your intention or decision)

By following the above pattern, I can talk about three of my new year’s resolutions. Here they are.

1.  제 새해 결심은 스페인어를 공부하는 거예요. 

          ( My new year’s resolution is to study Spanish.)

2.  제 새해 결심은 검정띠를 따는 거예요.

      (My new year’s resolution is to earn a black belt.)

3.  제 새해 결심은 기타를 배우는 거예요.

     (My new year’s resolution is to learn to play the guitar.)

What are your new year’s resolutions in 2018? I hope the above pattern will help you to set up your personal goals in the Korean language so that you can look forward to a happy, healthy, and meaningful year in 2018.

새해 복 많이 받으세요! (Happy New Year!)

감사합니다! (Thank you!)