Wanna and Gonna

Question

Hello~ I wonder what wanna and gonna are.
I thought that wanna is 'want to' and gonna is 'go to'. But it's not true. What does mean the Britain pop group Spice Girls's title song 'Wanna be'? And What does mean the American pop group Nsync's song 'It's gonna be me'" I like pop music but I don't know the song title's mean. And Why do people use 'wanna and gonna'? I don't know well.
Jun Hyeong, Lee

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Hello~ I wonder what wanna and gonna are. I thought that wanna is 'want to' and gonna is 'go to'. ... but I don't know the song title's mean. And Why do people use 'wanna and gonna'? I don't know well.[/nq]
"Gonna" is the standard contracted version of "going to". Well, not exactly "standard", but a well-known informal usage. And its use is to preface other verbs. I consider it an auxiliary verb for a future progressive action. I can't think of any time it is used without a preceding form of "be".
I am going to eat. You are going to be so sorry. (Also "I was going to sit down", "We were going to sell the house" - - there is probably someone who can give the construction a better name, since the action was intended as a future act.)
"Gonna" is not used to express the simple action of "going" which involves changing one's location. We are going to the store. Even : We are going walking.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hello~ I wonder what wanna and gonna are. I thought that wanna is 'want to' and gonna is 'go to'. ... but I don't know the song title's mean. And Why do people use 'wanna and gonna'? I don't know well.[/nq]
The words "wanna" and "gonna" are examples of "pronunciation spelling." The expressions "want to" and "want a" are often pronounced "wanna" in actual speech: The spelling "wanna" is substituted when the writer intends to represent informal speech, as in "You wanna go now?" and "You wanna slice of pie?"(1) "Going to" is often pronounced "gonna," and that spelling is substituted under similar conditions. Another pronunciation spelling which you may have come across is the "in'" (i-n-apostrophe) at the end of words ordinarily ending in "-ing," which is meant to show that the last syllable of the word is being pronounced "in" rather than "ing." An example of this is the title of the 1980 Gary Busey movie *Foolin' Around.*(2)

For other examples of the use of "wanna" and "gonna," do a search for those words in www.onelook.com , which will show those words as entries in various dictionaries.
The word "wannabe," also spelled "wannabee," is reminiscent of "wanna," but "wannabe" and "wannabee" are not pronunciation spellings, since they represent the standard spellings for that word there is no "want-to-be" variant spelling.
Note:
(1) These examples are taken from the entry for "wanna" in the *American Heritage Dictionary,* 4th ed.
(2) Filmed here in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Hello~ I wonder what wanna and gonna are. I thought ... Why dopeople use 'wanna and gonna'? I don't know well.[/nq]
[nq:1]"Gonna" is the standard contracted version of "going to". Well, notexactly "standard", but a well-known informal usage. And its use ... for a future progressive action. I can't think of any time it is used without a preceding form of "be".[/nq]
I edited the part below to give the "gonna" examples a bit of fleshing out.
[nq:1]I'm going to eat (I'm gonna eat). You are going to be so sorry ( You'regonna be so sorry). (Also ... action of "going" which involves changing one's location. We are going to the store. Even : We are going walking.[/nq]
Sorry, I didn't answer the Spice Girls question because I am not familiar with them. However, it could be that "Wanna Be", in addition to it's standard meaning (want to be. . .I want to be wanna be rich, etc.) has the additional slang meaning of "wannabe", which is a scornful label placed on a person one considers to be a 'phony', or a person who pretends to be something he is not. He "wants to be" that idealized person he is a wannabe.
A wannabe hero, for example, might have stories making him the center of some big adventure.
I wanna sing. I wanna dance. I don't wanna go. Some people (though I associate this more often with children) will contract "want a(n)" into "wanna". I wanna napple. I wanna treat.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Hello~ I wonder what wanna and gonna are. I thought ... Why dopeople use 'wanna and gonna'? I don't know well.[/nq]
[nq:1]"Gonna" is the standard contracted version of "going to". Well, notexactly "standard", but a well-known informal usage. And its use ... action of "going" which involves changing one's location. We are going to the store. Even : We are going walking.[/nq]
In those examples, the "goin'" form of "going" can be substituted, when that represents the pronunciation of the speaker and the intention of the writer is to represent informal speech: "We are goin' to the store." "We are goin' walkin'."

Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Hello~ I wonder what wanna and gonna are. I thought ... do people use 'wanna and gonna'? I don't know well.[/nq]
[nq:1]"Gonna" is the standard contracted version of "going to". Well, not exactly[/nq]
I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter And make believe it came from you
I'm gonna write words oh so sweet
They're gonna knock me off my feet
A lot of kisses on the bottom
I'll be glad I got 'em
I'm gonna smile and say I hope you're
feeling better
And close with love the way you do
I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter And make believe it came from you
By Ahlert and Young.
I wanna be around to pick up the pieces when somebody breaks your heart,
Somebody twice as smart as I.
Somebody who will swear to be true like you used to do with me, Who'll leave you to learn that misery loves company, wait and see. I wanna be around to see how he does it when he breaks your heart to bits,
Let's see if the puzzle fits, so fine,
And that's when I'll discover that revenge is sweet, As I sit there applauding from a front row seat,
When somebody breaks your heart like you broke mine. That's when I'll discover that revenge is sweet,
As I sit there applauding from a front row seat,
When somebody breaks your heart like you broke mine, Like you, like you broke mine.
Written by: Johnny Mercer and Sadie Vimmerstedt
[nq:1]"standard", but a well-known informal usage.[/nq]
In fact, I think among most Americans, at least, if one insists on saying "going to" all the time, he will sound pretty stuffy**. I think it is as established as can't and won't and didn't, even though it is not a recognized contraction, and it isn't spelled with an apostrophe.
**OTOH, one doesn't have to practice using gonna. It comes naturally, with no effort afaict.
Everything else Pat says is also true.
[nq:1]And its use is to preface other verbs. I consider it an auxiliary verb for a future progressive action. I ... action of "going" which involves changing one's location. We are going to the store. Even : We are going walking.[/nq]
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 20 years

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hello~ I wonder what wanna and gonna are. I thought that wanna is 'want to' and gonna is 'go to'. ... but I don't know the song title's mean. And Why do people use 'wanna and gonna'? I don't know well.[/nq]
1. In ordinary speech, Wanna and Gonna aresimply styles of pronunciation of the verbs
want and go, as you first thought.
2. Wannabe (cf. Spice Girls) is derivedfrom #1 to describe an aspirant, a person who
wants to be something, e.g. a wannabe pop
star. Often used as an adjective, it is also
a noun, e.g. Jane is a wannabe. This usage
is usually pejorative: either the ambition is
contemptible or the individual is contemptible.
Describing a politician as a wannabe
president suggests he has no qualifications
for such a high post.

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Hello~ I wonder what wanna and gonna are. I thought ... Why dopeople use 'wanna and gonna'? I don't know well.[/nq]
[nq:1]1. In ordinary speech, Wanna and Gonna are simply styles of pronunciation of the verbs want and go, as you first thought.[/nq]
"want to" and "going to"
Adrian

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Hello~ I wonder what wanna and gonna are. I thought ... do people use 'wanna and gonna'? I don't know well.[/nq]
[nq:1]"Gonna" is the standard contracted version of "going to". Well, not exactly "standard", but a well-known informal usage. And its ... for a future progressive action. I can't think of any time it is used without a preceding form of "be".[/nq]
Whenya gonna realise thatcha talkin' ****? ;-)
More seriously though, I gather that in some (perhaps Afro-american-influenced) dialects, sentences like "Pa gonna hit you when he finds out" are common, but those dialects tend to have other non-standard usages (including omissions) of forms of the verb 'be' anyway.
Dylan

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]"Gonna" is the standard contracted version of "going to". Well, ... any time it is used without a preceding formof "be".[/nq]
[nq:1]Whenya gonna realise thatcha talkin' ****? ;-) More seriously though, I gather that in some (perhaps Afro-american-influenced) dialects, sentences like ... are common, but those dialects tend to have other non-standard usages (including omissions) of forms of the verb 'be' anyway.[/nq]
I see that linguist John Lawler has dealt with the subject of "wanna" and "gonna," along with some other terms, such as "oughta," at

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jlawler/aue/gonna.html

Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]true. be'? me'" people exactly of[/nq]
[nq:2]Whenya gonna realise thatcha talkin' ****? ;-) More seriously though, ... usages (including omissions) of forms of the verb 'be' anyway.[/nq]
[nq:1]I see that linguist John Lawler has dealt with the subject of "wanna" and "gonna," along with some other terms, such as "oughta," at http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jlawler/aue/gonna.html Raymond S. Wise Minneapolis, Minnesota USA E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com[/nq]
shoulda ,coulda ,woulda

Wanna and Gonna

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