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gotta
[ got-uh ]
- got to; have got to:
I can’t stay—I gotta get up early tomorrow.
- got a; have got a:
Hey, man, gotta light?
gotta
/ ˈɡɒə /
verb
- got to
Usage Note
yvlog History and Origins
Origin of gotta1
Example Sentences
“It’s not just something to keep to myself and my homies. This is for everyone. You ain’t gotta ask a punk!”
We've been the world's financial doormat for a while and we've gotta stop it.
We gotta toughen up a little bit.
You gotta look out for your people and be sensitive to each other, but there’s a balance to this thing.
After we had crazy success, then that inner knowing almost disappeared: “Oh s—, now I’m here and everybody’s telling me, ‘You gotta do this, you gotta do that.’”
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More About Gotta
What doesdzٳٲmean?
Gotta is an informal shortening of the phrase got to, as in My ride is here, so I gotta go.
A past tense form of the verb get, got is used informally to mean “must” or “have got.” To is used to mark an infinitive verb, as in to run, to read, or to sing. Together, the informal got to means “have to“ or “need to.”
In informal language, speakers will shorten got to to gotta. You can use it to mean “must” or “have to,” as in I gotta get an A on the next test to pass the course.
Gotta is also an informal shortening for got a, meaning “have.” If you’re thirsty, you might ask your friends, Anybody gotta bottle of water?
Some other similar shortenings include wanna (“want to,” “want a”), gonna (“going to”), hafta (“have to”), lemme (“let me”), kinda (“kind of”), and dunno (“don’t know”).
Example: Well I gotta go soon, so why don’t I start packing up?
Where does dzٳٲcome from?
The first records of the term gotta come from around the 1880s. Originally, the shortening was spelled gotter but was said without the r sound in British English dialects. The spelling was eventually changed to represent the pronunciation.
Did you know ... ?
How isdzٳٲused in real life?
Gotta is commonly used in informal speaking and writing.
It's gotta be you, only you. It's gotta be you, only you
— One Direction (@onedirection)
sometimes you gotta close a door to open the window
— T (@tylerthecreator)
Try usinggotta!
Which of the following is NOT a synonym for gotta?
A. got to
B. need to
C. used to
D. have to
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