Nowy Rok to zarówno koniec, jak i początek pewnego etapu w naszym życiu. Skłania nas to do pewnej refleksji nad tym, co udało nam się do tej pory osiągnąć i tego, co planujemy zrobić w kolejnym roku. Zazwyczaj obchodzimy go w szczególny sposób, pijąc szampana i imprezując. Niezależnie od tego, jak planujesz świętować Nowy Rok, pamiętaj o tym, aby być wdzięcznym za to, co masz i cieszyć się chwilą obecną. Na całym świecie w różny sposób ludzie świętują powitanie Nowego Roku. W Stanach Zjednoczonych podobnie jak w Polsce organizowane są pokazy fajerwerków w centrum miasta, które uznawane są za symbol nowego początku. W dzisiejszym artykule poznasz idiomy oraz różne zwroty związane z Nowym Rokiem i postanowieniami noworocznymi. A zatem let’s read!
New Year’s Resolutions
There are many idioms and phrases about New Year’s resolutions. Read the sentences below, and try to guess the meaning of the phrases.
KICK THE HABIT
(zerwać z nawykiem)
- She used to be a heavy smoker, but she kicked the habit last year.
- I want to kick the habit of biting my nails this year.
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
(przystąpić do robienia czegoś, bez ociągania się)
- He needs to hit the ground running if he wants to achieve all his goals by the end of the year.
- We are so excited about our new house; we are going to hit the ground running and decorate it.
GET THE BALL ROLLING
(rozpoczynać coś, zaczynać)
- I decided to get the ball rolling and got up to dance.
- He’s shy, so he always waits for other people to get the ball rolling.
A FRESH START
(nowy początek)
- It is never too late for a fresh start.
- She is moving abroad to make a fresh start.
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW
(Precz ze starym, niech żyje nowe)
- Well, with the new year comes the „Out with the old, in with the new” attitude. No more cheeseburgers with fries for lunch, only salads.
- You should repaint your room a different colour, out with the old, and in with the new.
START FROM A SCRATCH
(zacząć od początku, zacząć od zera)
- We don’t have a lot of money, so we’re going to have to start from scratch.
- She moved to a new place where she had to make friends from scratch.
TURN OVER A NEW LEAF
(rozpoczynać nowe życie, rozpoczynać nowy lepszy rozdział w życiu)
- Every year on January 1st, millions of people try to vow to turn over a new leaf and then stop trying after just a week.
- He has not been in trouble this year. He has turned over a new leaf.
RING IN THE NEW YEAR
(świętować Nowy Rok, obchodzić sylwestra)
- People thronged the streets just before midnight to ring in the New Year.
- My parents are letting me stay up late to ring in the new year with them.
HAVE A WHALE OF A TIME
(doskonale się bawić, świetnie się bawić)
- We had a whale of a time on New Year’s Eve.
- I spent the summer holidays in Mexico and had a whale of a time!
START WITH A CLEAN SLATE
(zaczynać od nowa, zaczynać z czystym kontem)
- I felt like I could start again with a clean slate.
- Instead of making resolutions, why not start the New Year with a clean slate?
TEMPT FATE
(kusić los, podejmować ryzyko)
- You’re tempting fate by riding your bike without wearing a helmet.
- I hope that we are not tempting fate too much.
REFLECT BACK ON
(rozmyślać nad przeszłym zdarzeniem, głębiej rozmyślać nad przeszłością)
- When I reflect back on the year, I think it was a pretty good one.
- All the accomplishments will settle (dokonania się rozsztrygną, ustalą) in once (jak tylko) I retire and can reflect back on my career.
EXERCISE 1
1. Kick the habit 2. Hit the ground running 3. Get the ball rolling 4. A fresh start 5. Out with the old, in with the new 6. Start from a scratch 7. Turn over a new leaf 8. Ring in the New Year 9. Whale of a time 10. Start with a clean slate 11. Tempt fate 12. Reflect back on | a. an opportunity to begin something again b. to remember or think about someone or something c. to give up something harmful that you have done for a long time d. to change your behaviour positively e. an absence of existing restraints or commitments f. start something and proceed at a fast pace with great enthusiasm g. do something that is risky or dangerous h. to begin from a point at which nothing has been done yet i. to begin an activity or process j. to mark the end of the previous year and usher in the start of a new one k. move forward, change something l. to enjoy yourself very much |

Read this article about New Year’s resolutions
and answer the questions below
New Year’s resolutions are a popular tradition among many people around the world. These resolutions are often made at the start of the new year and are meant to be (przeznaczone) a way for people to improve themselves (poprawić się) or achieve specific goals (osiągnąć określone cele). Some common New Year’s resolutions include (zawiera) improving one’s health, learning a new skill, or advancing (awansowanie) in one’s career.
One of the benefits of making New Year’s resolutions is that it provides a sense of purpose (poczucie celu)and motivation. By setting goals (wyznaczanie celów) for ourselves, we have something to work towards (działać w kierunku czegoś) and can feel a sense of accomplishment (poczucie osiągnięcia czegoś) when we achieve (osiągnąć) them. Additionally, making New Year’s resolutions can be a good way to reflect on the past year (zastanowić się nad minionym rokiem) and make positive changes (wprowadzić pozytywne zmiany) in our lives.
However, it is important to keep in mind (pamiętaj) that making New Year’s resolutions is not a guarantee of success (nie gwarantuje sukcesu). In fact, it is estimated (szacunkowo) that only about 8% of people are able to stick to their resolutions (są w stanie trzymać się swoich postanowień) for the entire year. To increase (aby zwiększyć) the chances of success, it is helpful to make specific and achievable goals (określone i osiągalne cele), break them down into smaller steps (podziel je na mniejsze etapy), and track progress along the way (śledź swój postęp po drodze). It is also important to be realistic and flexible (elastycznym) when making New Year’s resolutions. It is okay to make mistakes or encounter setbacks (napotykać trudności) along the way – the key is to learn from them and keep trying (ucz się z nich i próbuj dalej). Not only that, but it is also helpful to have a support system in place (system wsparcia), whether it be friends, family, or a professional, to help hold oneself accountable and provide encouragement (aby być rozliczanym z celów i zapewniać wsparcie).
In conclusion, making New Year’s resolutions can be a great way to improve oneself and achieve personal goals. However, it is important to be realistic, specific, and flexible when making these resolutions and to have a support system in place to help along the way. Wishing everyone a happy and successful New Year!
Questions:
- What is a New Year’s resolution? Do you make resolutions?
- Does making resolutions guarantee success?
- How can we make sure that we accomplish our resolutions?
READ THE SAMPLE ANSWERS HERE

Plans for New Year’s Eve
Zaplanujmy, jak spędzimy czas 31 grudnia. Na imprezie? W domu? A może na wycieczce? WYSŁUCHAJ poniższe rozmowy i dowiedz się, co planują rozmówcy.
CONVERSATION 1
NAGRANIE 1
Person 1: Hey, do you have any plans for New Year’s Eve? (czy masz jakieś plany na Sylwestra?)
Person 2: Not really, I was thinking about just staying in (zostać w domu) and watching TV. How about you?
Person 1: I was thinking about doing something a little more thrilling (porywającego). I heard there’s a famed (słynna) party at a local bar, and they’re going to have a live band (zespół na żywo) and a champagne toast (toast z szampanem) at midnight.
Person 2: That sounds like a blast (dużo dobrej zabawy)! Do you think we could get a group together (zorganizować grupę) to go?
Person 1: Definitely! I’ll send out (rozesłałam/em) a few texts and see who’s eager to go (chętny, by pójść).
Person 2: Sounds good. What time should we meet up?
Person 1: How about we meet at the bar around 9:30? That way we can get a good spot (dobre miejsce)and have time to mingle (czas na zabawę) before the countdown (odliczanie) to midnight.
Person 2: Perfect! I’ll see if I can round up (zebrać) a few friends and meet you there.
Person 1: Sounds good. I’m really looking forward to ringing in the new year (nie mogę się doczekać, aby powitać nowy rok) with you and our friends.
Person 2: Me too. It’s going to be a remarkable (niezwykła) night.
CONVERSATION 2
NAGRANIE 2
Person 1: Hey, have you made any plans for New Year’s Eve yet?
Person 2: Not yet. I’m still trying to decide what to do (Nadal próbuję zdecydować, co zrobić). Have you made any plans?
Person 1: Yeah, I’m going to a party at a friend’s house. I am dying to go (bardzo chcę iść) to that party. I heard that my crush (sympatia) is coming.
Person 2: That sounds like a tremendous time (wspaniały czas). I’m trying to decide between going to a party or just staying in and watching the fireworks (fajerwerki) from my balcony.
Person 1: Either way sounds fun. Just make sure you do something that you enjoy (upewnij się, że zrobisz coś, co sprawi Ci przyjemność).
Person 2: Yeah, I’m leaning towards (skłaniam się ku) staying in and relaxing. I was swamped with work (zawalona/y pracą), and I’m looking forward to (nie mogę się doczekać) just unwinding (zrelaksować) on New Year’s Eve.
Person 1: That’s apprehensible (To zrozumiałe). It’s important to take time to rest and recharge (odpoacząć i nabrać nowych sił).
Person 2: Definitely. So, have you made any resolutions (zrobiłeś/aś postanowienia noworoczne) for the new year yet?
Person 1: Yeah, I want to start going to the gym regularly (chodzić reguralnie na siłownię) and build a better budget (zbudować lepszy budżet). How about you?
Person 2: I want to commit to a healthier sleep routine (zobowiązać się do utrzymania zdrowszej rutyny snu) and upcycle my wardrobe (ogarnięcie mojej garderoby). Those are my main goals (główne cele) for the new year.
Person 1: Those are great goals. I’m sure we’ll both be able to achieve them (osiągnąć je) with some hard work and determination (ciężką pracą i determinacją).
Person 2: I hope so. Well, I’m going to start getting ready for my New Year’s Eve fireworks show. I’ll talk to you later.
Person 1: Sounds good. Happy New Year! (Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!)
CONVERSATION 3
NAGRANIE 3
Person 1: Hey, have you started making plans for New Year’s Eve yet?
Person 2: Yes, I was thinking about just staying in and having a quiet night, watching all of my favourite seasonal films (zostać w domu i mieć spokojny wieczór, oglądając wszystkie moje ulubione sezonowe filmy). How about you?
Person 1: I was thinking the same thing (Myślałam/em o tym samym). Maybe we could order some takeout (zamówić coś na wynos) and watch it together?
Person 2: That sounds like a marvelous idea (wspaniały pomysł). Do you have any particular movie in mind? (Czy masz na myśli jakiś konkretny film?)
Person 1: How about that new romantic comedy that just came out? (komedia romantyczna, która właśnie wyszła?). I heard it’s really good.
Person 2: Sure, that sounds like fun. Do you want to invite anyone else to join us? (Czy chciałabyś/chciałbyś zaprosić jeszcze kogoś, aby do nas dołączył?)
Person 1: I don’t think so. I think just the two of us will be enough (Myślę, że nasza dwójka wystarczy). It’ll be nice to have a low-key night for a change (spokojny wieczór dla odmiany).
Person 2: Yeah, I agree. New Year’s Eve can be so overwhelming (przytłaczające) with all the parties and crowds (tłumy). It’ll be nice to have a relaxed evening at home.
Person 1: Exactly. Plus, we can still toast the new year with a glass of champagne (wznieść toast za nowy rok kieliszkiem szampana).
Person 2: Perfect. I’ll order the takeout and you pick out the movie (Ja zamówię jedzenie na wynos a ty odbierz film). Sounds like we have our plans for New Year’s Eve all set (wszystko już ustalone).

What are your plans for the New Year’s Eve celebration?