Four-character idioms for New Year’s resolutions! A collection of motivational phrase ideas
When welcoming a new year, how about expressing your resolutions with four-character idioms? Traditional Japanese yoji-jukugo are full of words that powerfully convey determination and hopes.
From upbeat phrases to start the year to expressions that value your individuality, exploring various idioms may lead to new discoveries.
Savor their sound and meaning as you search for the four-character idiom that will guide you throughout the year.
And together with your family or friends, try creating a heartwarming moment by sharing and discussing each person’s aspirations!
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Four-character idioms for New Year’s resolutions! A collection of motivating phrase ideas (11–20)
fair and square
This four-character idiom, often heard as a personal motto, might be a great choice to adopt as your New Year’s resolution for the coming year.
Kōmei seidai means being fair and impartial, transparent, and acting and thinking in an open, aboveboard manner.
It’s an expression that encourages us to abandon little white lies and the urge to cut corners, and to resolve to treat everyone without discrimination.
By breaking down barriers of age and gender, it inspires us to be honest and straightforward with both ourselves and others.
bright future
The four-character idiom zento-yoyo (前途洋々) carries a positive meaning that suggests a future full of hope.
At New Year’s, many people set goals with hopes like “What kind of year will it be?” and “I want to have a happy year.” Thinking that the future is brimming with possibility and hope can help you get off to a great start! It’s also a good idea to write down the four-character idiom you’ve chosen as your New Year’s resolution and keep it where you’ll see it in daily life—at home or in your planner—as a kind of good-luck charm.
Let’s start the New Year on a positive note!
To each their own.
“Jūnin toiro” is a four-character idiom meaning that if there are ten people, there are ten different ways of thinking and ten different personalities.
It’s a New Year’s resolution I recommend to those who can’t help but compare themselves to others’ individuality.
With the spread of social media, many of us see too much of other people’s lives and end up comparing ourselves.
But each person has their own unique traits and strengths, and because there’s no one identical to you, it’s all the more important to cherish yourself—and others as well.
It’s a wonderful idiom that encourages valuing both yourself and those around you.
consistency
This four-character idiom is perfect for those who want to live guided by their own compass and pursue goals they set for themselves.
“Shubi-ikkan” (consistency from start to finish) means that one’s direction and thinking remain unchanged from beginning to end, with a coherent throughline.
As you work toward your goals, you’ll likely encounter troubles and obstacles, but why not make it your resolution this year to maintain unwavering determination to achieve the goals you’ve chosen? It’s a mindset that applies both to work and to your personal life.
the finishing touch
When you complete something, I’d like you to remember the phrase “gairyō tensei.” It means the crucial final touch and is considered one of the idioms from a Chinese anecdote.
You often hear it in the form “lacking gairyō tensei,” meaning that a key element is missing or the finishing touches are sloppy.
Even when we think something is perfect, we sometimes realize it’s incomplete after someone else points it out—an experience everyone has had.
To reduce such failures and to gain a broader perspective through reviewing your work, why not adopt this phrase as a New Year’s resolution?
Single-minded focus spanning a vast distance
@yoji_jukuko Four-character idiomTranslationtranslationA clear sky stretching for ten thousand milesThis is a revised thumbnail for a past video.
♬ Escort – MoppySound
This phrase originates from The Book of Five Rings by the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.
Literally, it is a four-character idiom that expresses the idea that no matter how far you go, the world lies under the same sky.
By extension, it has come to mean “to keep striving toward a single goal.” The higher the goal, the longer the journey and the more effort it requires.
Like the sky that stretches on forever, a bright future surely awaits beyond those efforts.
When times are tough, look up at the sky and remember these words.
firm principles
Shisō-kengo is read “shisō kengo” and seems to mean firmly upholding one’s own ideals, convictions, and code without ever changing them.
Even in the days when you’re striving toward the future you’ve chosen, your feelings may waver and your convictions may seem to falter.
But that’s exactly when you should recall your beliefs and keep the promises you’ve made to yourself as you move forward.
Writing this four-character idiom somewhere visible at home or in your office could serve as a switch to fire you up.
majestic and dignified
It means approaching things calmly, confidently, and with a dignified bearing.
In sports, it describes the attitude of trusting your own ability and playing solidly.
For example, a runner who takes a deep breath and focuses before the start, a soccer player who handles the ball with composure, or a basketball player who sinks a shot coolly are examples of “ifu dodo.” In simpler words, it means “to act calmly and confidently, with dignity.” By keeping this in mind, you can perform to your potential even when nervous, and it helps stabilize the team’s atmosphere.
Ifu dodo is a cool phrase that expresses inner strength and poise, and it’s an important mindset for athletes.
soaring spirit; indomitable morale; spirits running high
When it looks like you’re about to lose a match, even if you tell yourself not to lose heart, your morale inevitably dips, doesn’t it? That’s exactly when I want you to remember this phrase: “ikishōten” (意気衝天).
It describes a state of being extremely motivated and brimming with energy.
If you recall it when you need a boost, it might help lift your spirits.
And once your mindset rebounds, you may start to see a path to victory in the match.
It’s a very positive expression, so be sure to keep it in mind!
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Isn’t concentration an essential skill in sports? Many of us have probably experienced that by focusing our awareness, we were able to draw out our full potential.
With that in mind, I’d like to introduce a four-character idiom useful in sports: 精神一到 (seishin-ittō).
Seishin ittō means that if you focus your mind and tackle something with full concentration, you will surely accomplish it.
It’s a phrase that gives you strength when you face a difficult obstacle or need to push yourself.