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David Little Posted 19 years ago
Speech & Pronunciation
Is it good to use those gotcha,wanna,yall,hafta etc... for a Non-native?
Dear friends
Recently i started to observe that many native speakers are fusing some words together and talking.For example:
Got to-->Gotcha.
Want to-->Wanna.
You all-->Yall.
Have to-->Have to.
As a non-native speaker and still in the beginning of my English learning curve, can i adopt those fused words in to my language or is it better to avoid them now or even forever.
Will you advice me on this issue.Thank you.
Recently i started to observe that many native speakers are fusing some words together and talking.For example:
Got to-->Gotcha.
Want to-->Wanna.
You all-->Yall.
Have to-->Have to.
As a non-native speaker and still in the beginning of my English learning curve, can i adopt those fused words in to my language or is it better to avoid them now or even forever.
Will you advice me on this issue.Thank you.
Top answer
David, do NOT use these in your writing unless you are writing dialogue. It's how we say it, but not how people who want to be taken seriously write it. " Gotha is its own word.
- David, do NOT use these in your writing unless you are writing dialogue.
- It's how we say it, but not how people who want to be taken seriously write it.
- " Gotha is its own word.
- S No one else will sound natural saying it.
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10 Answers
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David, do NOT use these in your writing unless you are writing dialogue. It's how we say it, but not how people who want to be taken seriously write it.
(Got to is "gotta" not "gotcha." Gotha is its own word. Did you mean "hafta"?)
But don't say "Y'all" unless you truly have roots in the southern part of the U.S No one else will sound natural saying it.
(Got to is "gotta" not "gotcha." Gotha is its own word. Did you mean "hafta"?)
But don't say "Y'all" unless you truly have roots in the southern part of the U.S No one else will sound natural saying it.
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Hi,
Recently i started to observe that many native speakers are fusing some words together and talking.For example:
Got to-->Gotcha. Gotta
Want to-->Wanna.
You all-->Yall. This seems a regional version. Where I live,we say (approximately) 'Yeh all'
Have to-->Have to. Hafta
As
Recently i started to observe that many native speakers are fusing some words together and talking.For example:
Got to-->
Want to-->Wanna.
You all-->
Have to-->
As
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Hi David,
yeah, GG and Clive are right. Don't write those in formal English, but for informal English you definitely HAVE TO learn them. ---> hafta learn 'em / there you go, you also got a new one, 'em.
yeah, GG and Clive are right. Don't write those in formal English, but for informal English you definitely HAVE TO learn them. ---> hafta learn 'em / there you go, you also got a new one, 'em.
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Hi,
What kind of people are you thinking of? Are they, for example, related to particular geographical locations, or to levels of education?
Clive
What kind of people are you thinking of? Are they, for example, related to particular geographical locations, or to levels of education?
Clive
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Looking at my last post, are there any natives who sometimes pronunce "have to" with a V sound instead of "haff to"? I was told that's the correct pronunciation, not a reduction.
PS: that anon was not me. I think every American uses those reduction at least in a few situations and contexts. Unless we are talking about 90-year-olds, lol. I guess some old people don't even tap their T's.
PS: that anon was not me. I think every American uses those reduction at least in a few situations and contexts. Unless we are talking about 90-year-olds, lol. I guess some old people don't even tap their T's.
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Hi Kooyeen,
Your point is well taken. However, I think the V sound can be heard to some extent as speaking becomes slower and more careful. Such pronunciation forms a continuum, it's not just a case of 'either one way or the other'.
Clive.
Your point is well taken. However, I think the V sound can be heard to some extent as speaking becomes slower and more careful. Such pronunciation forms a continuum, it's not just a case of 'either one way or the other'.
Clive.
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I see, thanks.
Yeah, I guess that's true. If natives put a pause between "have" and "to", they would probably say "have" with a V. But once they say "have to" together... it's practically always "haff".
Yeah, I guess that's true. If natives put a pause between "have" and "to", they would probably say "have" with a V. But once they say "have to" together... it's practically always "haff".
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