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The Big Three: gonna, wanna, gotta
These three reductions are used by virtually every native English speaker in casual conversation. They're not slang. they're standard spoken English. - **gonna** = going to (future plans or intentions) - **wanna** = want to - **gotta** = got to / have got to (need to, must) Important: these are used for the verb forms only, not in every situation where these words appear.
I'm gonna call her later.
= I'm going to call her later.
Do you wanna come with us?
= Do you want to come with us?
I gotta go. I'm late.
= I've got to go.
Tip
You CAN'T use "gonna" when "going to" means physically traveling. "I'm going to Paris" never becomes "I'm gonna Paris."