For Elementary School Students: Four-Character Idioms You Can Use for New Year’s Resolutions — How to Set Cool Goals!
When welcoming the New Year, why not express your goals with four-character idioms? In this article, we’ve gathered yojijukugo that are easy for elementary school students to use as New Year’s resolutions.
From isshoukenmei (giving your all) to shoshi-kantetsu (sticking to your original intention), these are words that are easy for kids to remember and have cool meanings.
They’re perfect for kakizome calligraphy or class presentations! Each idiom’s meaning is explained in a simple way, so while talking with your child about “What kind of year do you want this to be?”, try choosing a favorite phrase together.
[For Elementary Schoolers] Four-character idioms you can use for New Year’s resolutions: How to set cool goals! (1–10)
Stay true to your original intention.
Shoshi-Kantetsu is a four-character idiom meaning to carry out the goals or intentions you first set all the way to the end.
Adopting it as a New Year’s resolution can change your daily mindset.
For example, if you decide, in studies or sports, “This is what I’ll work hard on this year,” it’s important to keep at it steadily without giving up halfway.
Even if things don’t go well along the way, recalling your original resolve will help you find the will to try again.
Accumulating small efforts day by day is the practice of Shoshi-Kantetsu, and it is a phrase that fosters the strength to achieve your goals.
Once-in-a-lifetime encounter
“Ichigo ichie” means cherishing each encounter as if it happens only once in a lifetime, and it conveys the attitude of valuing relationships with friends, teachers, and family.
It’s easy for elementary school students to remember, and if set as a goal, it can be put into practice in daily school life and play.
It also leads to valuing one’s own time and opportunities, making it perfect for setting goals in learning and sports.
By keeping this four-character idiom in mind and making resolutions at the start of the new year, you can cultivate a mindset of treasuring each day.
Simple yet cool, it’s a highly recommended phrase that works as a practical goal.
telepathy; tacit understanding (literally: ‘heart-to-heart communication’)
“Ishin-denshin” is a four-character idiom meaning to communicate feelings heart-to-heart without putting them into words.
Incorporating it into your New Year’s resolutions can make you more mindful of how you interact with friends and family.
By acting with consideration for others’ feelings even without being told, and by understanding from expressions and gestures, you can naturally build trust.
In team activities or group study as well, respecting each other’s feelings leads to smoother cooperation.
By keeping this phrase in mind, you can value compassion and spend the year growing together with those around you.
friendly rivalry; mutual improvement through competition
Sessatakuma is a four-character idiom meaning to grow by honing one’s skills and knowledge together with peers while encouraging each other.
It’s a perfect word for when you work toward goals with friends at school or in club activities.
For example, by giving each other advice and engaging in friendly competition in sports days, studying, or lessons, you can experience growth you couldn’t achieve alone.
When you make a habit of working hard while helping your friends, you also come to appreciate the importance of cooperation and the joy of developing your own abilities.
Incorporating this word into your New Year’s resolutions fosters a daily mindset of taking on challenges and deepens your bonds with your peers.
Late bloomer
“Taiki-bansei” (literally, “a great vessel matures late”) is a four-character idiom meaning that even if talent or ability doesn’t show right away, it will grow over time and eventually blossom greatly.
If you adopt it as a New Year’s resolution, it helps you keep striving without rushing, even when results don’t come immediately.
Whether it’s studying, sports, art, or music—whatever you’re challenging yourself with—even if things don’t go well at first, daily efforts accumulate and lead to significant achievements in the future.
It’s a phrase that teaches the importance of continuing small efforts and ingenuity, fostering a mindset that enjoys your growth over the long run.
It’s a practical resolution that helps you stay aware of the value of developing your abilities from a long-term perspective.
Say what you mean, do what you say.
“Yuugen Jikkou” is a four-character idiom meaning to firmly carry out what you say you will do, and it encourages turning spoken goals into concrete actions.
If you decide “I’ll work hard on kanji this year” or “I’ll exercise every day,” it’s important not just to say it but to actually follow through.
Even when things get difficult along the way, the mindset of seeing it through because you said you would fuels your ability to keep making an effort.
The small steps you take each day build confidence and earn the trust of those around you.
If you choose it as your New Year’s resolution, it will be a year in which you link words with actions and truly feel your own growth.
Learning new things by revisiting the old
Onko-chishin is a four-character idiom meaning to study the past thoroughly and use it as a foundation to create something new.
By cultivating the habit of reflecting on what you have learned and experienced, you can avoid repeating mistakes and apply the lessons to new challenges.
For example, if you recall what didn’t go well in your studies or sports and consider how to improve, you’ll be able to stay calm and act appropriately when faced with a similar situation next time.
Keeping a journal or summarizing what you’ve learned are also ways to practice onko-chishin.
By adopting this mindset—valuing the past and putting it to use for the future—as a New Year’s resolution, you can develop the ability to live each day with greater intention.