What does gonna mean?
“Gonna” is an informal English contraction of “going to” used especially in speech to express an intention, a plan, or an expectation about what will happen. In sentences such as “I’m gonna call you later,” it announces a future action; in “It’s gonna rain,” it makes a prediction. The word is not normally used in careful formal writing, where “going to” is preferred, though informal uses of “gonna” have become widespread in conversation, entertainment, and digital communication. Its meaning is usually straightforward, but context can add shades of confidence, certainty, determination, or casualness. Speakers often reduce “going to” further in speech, producing the familiar expression “gonna,” whose first vowel may vary by accent. Although dictionaries generally treat it as a single contracted form, it can fill several grammatical roles, notably as a future auxiliary and as a present-participle form. It is therefore best understood as a concise marker of what a speaker plans, intends, or expects to do, rather than as a separate lexical item with an independent meaning.
verbAn informal contraction of “going to,” used especially in speech to express a future intention, plan, or prediction.
- To express an intention or plan to do something in the future.
- To express an expectation or prediction about what will happen.
"I’m gonna meet her at the station around six."
"We’re gonna leave before the traffic gets bad."
"Don’t worry, it’s gonna be fine."
Gonna is “going to” after it left formalwear: shorter, faster, and unmistakably conversational.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gonna come from?
“Gonna” is a reduced spoken form of “going to” that became established in American English in the early twentieth century and later spread to other English-speaking varieties. It combines the present-participle element of “going” with a reduced form of the final sound in “to.” Its source words “go” and “going” continue the Old English verb gān, which was cognate with Old Norse ganga and related Germanic verbs.
How gonna is actually used
The form is strongly associated with informal speech and is normally avoided in careful formal writing. Its first vowel varies by speaker and accent, and its use in conversation, entertainment, and digital communication is now widespread.
Easily confused with gonna
“Gonna” is a contraction of the complete phrase “going to,” whereas “going” is the present-participle form of the verb “go.”