The words “gonna”, “wanna” and “gotta” are REALLY common contractions in everyday spoken English.
Some learners prefer not to use words like “gonna” because they think they sound lazy.
But as an English learner, you really need to be able to understand words like “gotta” in real conversations. After all, this is how native English speakers really talk!
Contents
Gotta, wanna, gotta: meaning
“Gonna“, “wanna” and “gotta” just mean “going to“, “want to” and “got to“.
- gonna = going to (for future actions)
- wanna = want to (for intentions and desires)
- gotta = got to (for obligation)
“Gonna”, “gotta” and “wanna” are informal forms.
Native English speakers often use them in conversations.
You may also see gonna, wanna and gotta in written text messages or tweets. But in more formal emails and letters, going to, want to and have to / need to are more suitable.
Why do native speakers say “gonna”, “wanna” and “gotta”?
Native speakers tend to use words like gonna, wanna and gotta because:
- they are easier to pronounce
- they help you speak more quickly
- they sound friendlier and more relaxed
Gonna
Meaning
The word “gonna” just means “going to“.
“Gonna” is less formal, and more relaxed than “going to”.
Pronunciation
We pronounce “gonna” like this:
ˈɡɒnə
How to use “gonna” in a sentence:
We use gonna with subject + BE (‘m / ‘s / ‘re).
- I’m gonna work harder. (I + AM + GONNA..) = I am going to work harder.
- Are you gonna help me? ( ARE + YOU + GONNA..?) = Are you going to help me?
- She‘s not gonna pay me ( SHE + IS + NOT + GONNA..) = She is not going to pay me.
The final –a sound in “gonna” means “to” (going + to infinitive).
So, verbs coming after “gonna” are always “base form” verbs:
- I’m gonna try. (correct)
- Are you gonna come? (correct)
But NOT:
- I’m gonna trying X (incorrect)
- I’m gonna to try X (incorrect)
Examples of “gonna”
Just like with “going to”, we use gonna to talk about things we plan to do in the future.
So:
I’m gonna speak to Ali after lunch. = I am going to speak to Ali after lunch.
In this example, the action is in the near future (happening soon – but not immediately).
In other words:
I have decided to speak to Ali after lunch. This is my plan. It will happen quite soon.
We also say gonna when we think we will do something VERY soon (immediately).
In this case, we often say “just gonna“:
I’m just gonna check my phone to see if Jane’s texted me, OK?
= I’m going to check my phone right now (maybe in the next two seconds!)
We can also use gonna for things which we think will happen very soon:
It looks like it’s gonna rain in a minute – look at those black clouds!
= I can see lots of rain clouds in the sky – I think rain is coming very soon.
We also use “gonna” for distant plans or long-term life goals:
I’m gonna save loads of money and then I’m gonna buy a massive house on an island!
= I plan to save lots of money and then I plan to buy a big house on an island (but this probably won’t happen soon!)
Gotta
meaning
“Gotta” means “got to“.
We say “gotta” to express obligations – or things we need to do.
“Gotta” is a more natural and relaxed way to say: have to, need to or must.
So, if I say:
I’ve gotta go!
I’m really saying:
- I HAVE to go ( or: I HAVE GOT to go)
- I NEED to go
- I MUST go
Pronunciation
We can pronounce “gotta” in two ways:
Relaxed pronunciation (UK / US English):
ˈɡɑdə
Very relaxed pronunciation (UK English only):
ˈɡɑʔə
How to use “gotta” in a sentence:
Native British speakers usually use gonna with subject + HAVE:
- I’ve gotta work today.
- She hasn’t gotta work today.
- Have you gotta work today?
In American English, “I gotta / you gotta” (without “have”) is more common.
The –a sound in “gotta” means “to“. So, all verbs which follow “gotta” must be “base form” verbs:
- I’ve gotta finish my homework. (correct)
NOT:
- I’ve gotta finishing my homework X (incorrect)
- I’ve gotta to finish my homework X (incorrect)
More examples of “gotta”
Usually, “gotta” means “have to” or “need to“:
I’ve gotta be home by 10.30!
This means:
I have to be home by 10.30. Someone is expecting me to return before this time (probably my parents). This is not my own choice.
And in negative sentences, “haven’t gotta” means: don’t have to / don’t need to:
I haven’t gotta go to work tomorrow
This means:
I don’t need to / don’t have to go to work tomorrow (there is no obligation)
We can also use “gotta” for things we really want:
Oh, I really love your phone! I’ve gotta get one of those!
This means:
I’d really like to own a phone like your phone. (I must buy a phone like that one!)
“Gotta” is also a way to give strong recommendations or advice:
What? You’ve never been to Oxford? You’ve really gotta go! You’ll love it!
This means:
I think you should visit Oxford. I think you’ll like it. (You must go there one day!)
“Gotta” is also common in many English idioms and sayings:
- You’ve gotta spend money to make money. = You have to spend money in order to make money
- You’ve gotta take the rough with the smooth. = You need to accept that some things are easy and some things are difficult
- You’ve gotta take your time! = You mustn’t go too fast, or you will make mistakes
- You’ve gotta be joking! = You must be joking (I don’t believe you)
Wanna
Meaning
The word “wanna” just a quicker way to say “want to“.
Just like “want to” we use “wanna” to express things we would like to do.
Pronunciation
We pronounce the word “wanna” like this:
ˈwɑnə
How to use “wanna” in a sentence:
We use “wanna” in positive statements after I, WE, YOU and THEY like this:
- I wanna save more money. = I want to save more money
- I think they wanna leave, now. = I think they want to leave, now
- We wanna know what time it is. = We want to know…
And also in negative statements and questions:
- I don’t wanna hear any more bad news! = I don’t want to
- Do you wanna call her, or shall I? = Do you want to call her, or shall I call her?
In positive statements, we CAN’T use wanna after HE, SHE or IT:
- He wanna go home. X (incorrect)
- She wanna buy a new car X (incorrect)
But this is OK in questions and negative statements:
- Does she wanna come with us? (Does she want to come with us?)
- Does he wanna have something to eat? (Does he want to…?)
- She doesn’t wanna talk to you. (She doesn’t want to…)
- He doesn’t wanna go to the show. ( He doesn’t want to…)
More examples of “wanna”
We sometimes use “wanna” to make informal requests or ask for favours:
Do you wanna give me a hand? = Do you want.. / Can you help me please?
We also sometimes use “wanna” to give gentle advice:
You wanna get inside and warm up! = The weather is cold, so you should get inside the house and get warm.
Is it bad to use words like “gonna” and wanna”?
Some people believe that using words like gonna, gotta, etc is lazy.
Other people even believe that if you use these kinds of words, you are “damaging” the English language.
I disagree with these opinions.
My view is that words like gonna, gotta, etc are worth learning because almost everyone uses them!
They are useful examples of real, native English. And you need to learn words like these if you want to have real-life conversations with native speakers.
By all means, carry on saying “going to” and “got to” if you want to. But just remember that this is NOT how most native speakers speak!
