Gonna

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Gonna

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

contraction (informal)

Pronunciation

GUN-uh  /ˈɡʌnə/

Definition

An informal spoken contraction of 'going to', used to express future intention or action in casual speech.

Plain meaning

Gonna is the casual spoken form of 'going to' — used in everyday informal speech and song lyrics but generally avoided in formal writing.

Register

Informal and colloquial. Gonna is entirely natural and appropriate in informal speech, song lyrics, dialogue in fiction, and informal digital communication. It is avoided in formal writing, legal documents, academic papers, and professional correspondence, where the full form going to is expected.