Breakdown of Mein Vorsatz für das neue Jahr ist, täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
Questions & Answers about Mein Vorsatz für das neue Jahr ist, täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
Both are possible, but they focus slightly differently:
Mein Vorsatz für das neue Jahr ist, täglich … zu üben.
Literally: My resolution for the new year is to practice German for a few minutes every day.
This structure presents the resolution itself as the subject of the sentence.Ich habe den Vorsatz, täglich … zu üben.
Literally: I have the resolution to practice German for a few minutes every day.
This structure presents you as the subject, who has a resolution.
Both are natural. The original is very typical for talking about New Year’s resolutions because it sounds a bit more like a statement of goals, almost like a heading or slogan.
Vorsatz in this context means resolution (especially a New Year’s resolution).
Vorsatz – a decision or resolution to do (or not do) something, often at the New Year.
- Guter Vorsatz = good resolution
- Neujahrsvorsatz = New Year’s resolution
Absicht – intention. More neutral and general:
- Ich habe nicht die Absicht, umzuziehen. = I don’t intend to move.
Plan – plan. Often more concrete or detailed:
- Mein Plan ist, jeden Morgen zu lernen.
Ziel – goal / aim. Something you want to achieve:
- Mein Ziel ist, fließend Deutsch zu sprechen.
In the context of New Year, Vorsatz is the idiomatic and culturally expected choice.
Both are possible but mean slightly different things:
für das neue Jahr
- Literally for the new year.
- Emphasizes that this resolution is intended for or applies to the upcoming year.
- This is the typical phrasing for New Year’s resolutions.
im neuen Jahr
- Literally in the new year.
- Focuses more on the time period when something will happen:
- Im neuen Jahr möchte ich mehr reisen. = In the new year I’d like to travel more.
In the phrase Vorsatz für das neue Jahr, für is standard because you are making a resolution for that year in particular.
The preposition für always takes the accusative case.
- für
- das neue Jahr
- das is the accusative singular form for neuter nouns.
- Jahr is neuter (das Jahr), so in the accusative it stays das Jahr.
- das neue Jahr
Other forms would be:
- Nominative: das neue Jahr (subject)
- Accusative: für das neue Jahr (after für)
- Dative: im neuen Jahr (because in
- dative here)
So für das neue Jahr is correct because für requires accusative.
There are two main uses:
Deutsch as a language (noun)
- Capitalized, no article when you mean “German” as a language generally:
- Ich lerne Deutsch. = I’m learning German.
- Deutsch ist schwer. = German is hard.
- Capitalized, no article when you mean “German” as a language generally:
deutsch as an adjective (lowercase)
- Describes things/people as German:
- ein deutsches Auto = a German car
- deutsche Musik = German music
- Describes things/people as German:
In the sentence … ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben, Deutsch is the language, so it is capitalized and used without an article, just like I practice English (no the English) in English.
Both mean every day:
täglich – an adverb meaning daily / every day.
- Often a bit more compact or slightly more formal:
- Ich möchte täglich lesen. = I want to read every day.
- Often a bit more compact or slightly more formal:
jeden Tag – literally each day / every day.
- Neutral, very common in everyday speech:
- Ich möchte jeden Tag lesen.
- Neutral, very common in everyday speech:
In this sentence, you could say either:
- … ist, täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
- … ist, jeden Tag ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
Both are correct and natural.
German word order in infinitive clauses (… zu üben) is quite flexible. All of these are grammatically possible:
- täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben
- täglich Deutsch ein paar Minuten zu üben
- ein paar Minuten täglich Deutsch zu üben
The version täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben is very natural because:
- Time (täglich) often comes early:
- Wann? Täglich.
- Extent/amount (ein paar Minuten) logically follows the time.
- What you’re practicing (Deutsch) comes right before the infinitive zu üben.
So the order täglich – ein paar Minuten – Deutsch – zu üben feels smooth and typical, but small variations would still be understood.
Two different words:
paar (lowercase) – means a few / several, somewhat vague, informal:
- ein paar Minuten = a few minutes
- ein paar Bücher = a few books
Paar (capitalized) – means pair / couple (exactly two, or two people in a relationship):
- ein Paar Schuhe = a pair of shoes
- ein glückliches Paar = a happy couple
Compare:
- ein paar Minuten = a few minutes (3, 5, 10… not specific)
- ein Paar Minuten = would sound wrong in most contexts; it would literally mean “one pair of minutes,” which doesn’t make sense.
einige Minuten also means a few / several minutes, but ein paar Minuten is more colloquial and more common in everyday speech. The difference is small; both are fine here, but ein paar Minuten sounds more natural.
They have different nuances:
üben – to practice (repeating, doing exercises, training a skill):
- Klavier üben = to practice piano
- Deutsch üben = to practice German (speaking, listening, etc.)
lernen – to learn / to study (for school or on your own):
- Deutsch lernen = to learn German (in general)
- für die Prüfung lernen = to study for the exam
studieren – to study (at university), to be enrolled in a subject:
- Ich studiere Germanistik. = I study German studies (as a university major).
In ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben, üben is perfect because a few minutes every day suggests short practice sessions, not the whole long-term process of learning the language.
Germany requires a comma before most infinitive clauses that start with zu if they are introduced or hinted at by a noun or phrase (here: Vorsatz ist).
täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben is an infinitive clause (Infinitivsatz), functioning like the completion of ist:
- Mein Vorsatz … ist, [etwas zu tun].
So you have:
- Main clause: Mein Vorsatz für das neue Jahr ist,
- Infinitive clause: täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
The comma separates these two clauses. In writing, this comma is mandatory.
In standard writing, you should keep the comma here. Strictly speaking:
- Mein Vorsatz für das neue Jahr ist, täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
→ Correct and recommended.
There are rare cases where you can omit the comma with simple zu-infinitives, but in modern standard German, especially when the infinitive clause is more than just one or two words and clearly completes the ist, using the comma is considered correct and clearer.
So: keep the comma for proper written German.
Yes, this is also correct:
- Mein Vorsatz für das neue Jahr ist es, täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
The es here is a formal or anticipatory subject that refers forward to the infinitive clause täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
Both versions are fine:
- … ist, täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
- … ist es, täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
The version with es can sound slightly more formal or explicit, but in everyday language most speakers would omit es as in the original sentence.
German often uses the present tense for near future intentions and plans, especially when the time is made clear by context (für das neue Jahr).
- Mein Vorsatz für das neue Jahr ist …
→ even though it is about the future year, the resolution is already true now (you already have it), so ist in present tense fits perfectly.
You would only use the future tense wird sein in more abstract or different contexts. Here it would sound unnatural.
You can use the plural:
- Meine Vorsätze für das neue Jahr sind, täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben und mehr Sport zu machen.
- Vorsätze = plural of Vorsatz.
- sind = plural of ist.
Or you list them:
- Mein Vorsatz für das neue Jahr ist, täglich ein paar Minuten Deutsch zu üben.
- Ein weiterer Vorsatz ist, gesünder zu essen.
The structure stays the same; only singular/plural forms change:
- Singular: Mein Vorsatz … ist …
- Plural: Meine Vorsätze … sind …