gotta

gotta — verb

1. used in casual English as a short way to write or say 'have got to', showing tha

1.動詞A2
釋義

used in casual English as a short way to write or say 'have got to', showing that someone needs to do something because it is necessary or cannot be avoided. For example, saying you gotta leave because you will miss the bus, or you gotta finish your homework before you can play.

例句

Rachid called to say he's gotta work late again tonight.

he's gotta work — third-person singular with 's

I gotta buy more rice and eggs before the supermarket closes.

gotta + buy [items] for immediate need

同義詞
  • have to

    neutral register, can be used in both casual and formal contexts

  • must

    stronger sense of obligation; slightly more formal

  • need to

    slightly more formal than gotta; common in everyday speech

文法句型

gotta + base verb

用法筆記

Occurs almost entirely in informal speech, text messages, and casual writing. In formal or professional contexts, replace with 'have to' or 'must'. The structure is always subject + gotta + base verb — never add 'to' after 'gotta'.

常見錯誤

❌I gotta to go now.
✅I gotta go now.
💡Gotta already contains the 'to' from 'got to', so adding another 'to' is redundant.
❌We gotta submit the proposal by Friday.' (in a formal email to a client)
✅We need to submit the proposal by Friday.
💡Gotta is too informal for professional or formal writing.