New Year’s Resolutions in Portuguese: Talk About Your Goals
Use simple Portuguese patterns to describe a goal, the habit behind it, and one realistic next step for the new year.
Real Life Portuguese · 7 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Resolução de Ano Novo means New Year’s resolution. Meta para o ano novo means a goal for the new year and works well when you want to describe a specific action. The two phrases can overlap, but meta often makes it easier to say exactly what you plan to do.
Say resolução de Ano Novo or meta para o ano novo
The I Speak Portuguese source lesson uses a New Year’s conversation as a listening resource. This guide focuses on original practice language for describing your own goals; its example sentences are not presented as a transcript of that lesson.
Minha meta para o ano novo é praticar português.
My goal for the new year is to practice Portuguese.
Você costuma fazer resoluções de Ano Novo?
Do you usually make New Year’s resolutions?
Ainda estou pensando na minha meta.
I’m still thinking about my goal.
Use querer and pretender to describe an intention
Querer + infinitive expresses what you want to do: quero viajar (I want to travel). Pretender + infinitive can express a plan or intention: pretendo estudar mais (I plan to study more). Add a time phrase such as este ano (this year) or neste semestre (this semester) to make the intention more specific.
A goal becomes clearer when you name an action rather than saying only “be better.” Choose a verb that describes something you can do, then add how often or when you plan to do it.
Quero caminhar três vezes por semana.
I want to walk three times a week.
Pretendo cozinhar em casa com mais frequência.
I plan to cook at home more often.
Este ano, quero visitar minha família.
This year, I want to visit my family.
Talk about starting, stopping, or continuing a habit
Use começar a + infinitive to say you want to start doing something: começar a ler. Use parar de + infinitive to say you want to stop: parar de gastar. Continuar + gerund or continuar a + infinitive can express continuing a habit; in Brazilian Portuguese, continuar praticando is a common pattern.
These patterns let you describe change without needing an advanced explanation. You can also soften a commitment with quero tentar (I want to try) or espero conseguir (I hope I can manage to). A realistic goal is easier to discuss than a promise you do not intend to keep.
Quero começar a ler antes de dormir.
I want to start reading before bed.
Vou tentar parar de adiar minhas tarefas.
I’m going to try to stop putting off my tasks.
Quero continuar praticando português.
I want to keep practicing Portuguese.
Turn the goal into a small next step
Ask yourself when you will begin and what the first small action is. Instead of describing an entire lifestyle change, name one step for this week. You can then check in later and say whether the routine is working or needs to change.
Practice listening to the linked I Speak Portuguese lesson, then describe a goal that matters to you. Real Life Portuguese provides audio practice for everyday phrases; a teacher at I Speak Portuguese can help you expand your answer and make the verb forms more natural.
Vou começar na segunda-feira.
I’m going to start on Monday.
Minha primeira meta é estudar por quinze minutos.
My first goal is to study for fifteen minutes.
Se a rotina não funcionar, vou tentar outra estratégia.
If the routine doesn’t work, I’ll try another strategy.
Put it into practice
Say one goal with quero or pretendo, add a frequency or date, and name one first step. Keep the example personal so you can reuse the same pattern in other conversations.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I plan to cook at home more often”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
This guide is an original Real Life Portuguese adaptation of an earlier article from I Speak Portuguese.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.