yvlog

Advertisement

Advertisement

gotta

[ got-uh ]

Informal.
  1. got to; have got to:

    I can’t stay—I gotta get up early tomorrow.

  2. got a; have got a:

    Hey, man, gotta light?



gotta

/ ˈɡɒə /

verb

  1. got to
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Usage Note

See get.
Discover More

yvlog History and Origins

Origin of gotta1

First recorded in 1885–90 in spelling gotter, representing the r-less British pronunciation of the phrase (have) got to or (have) got a in continuous rapid speech
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“It’s not just something to keep to myself and my homies. This is for everyone. You ain’t gotta ask a punk!”

From

We've been the world's financial doormat for a while and we've gotta stop it.

From

We gotta toughen up a little bit.

From

You gotta look out for your people and be sensitive to each other, but there’s a balance to this thing.

From

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.’”

From

Advertisement

Discover More

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 ... ?

What are some synonyms for gotta?

What are some words that often get used in discussing gotta?

How isdzٳٲused in real life?

Gotta is commonly used in informal speaking and writing.

Try usinggotta!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for gotta?

A. got to
B. need to
C. used to
D. have to

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement