"I gotta go." Gotta is a contraction of "got to." It means "have to" or "must." It is informal, spoken, and common. It is not written in formal English. It appears in dialogue, in texting, and in song lyrics. It is a word of obligation. It signals that something must be done.

Gotta has been in English since the 1800s. It is a natural compression. "Got to" becomes "gotta." It is not a mistake. It is a feature of casual speech. It is used by everyone, from presidents to plumbers. In the right context, it is fine. In a formal essay, it is out of place.

Related contractions

• Gonna: going to.
• Wanna: want to.
• Lemme: let me.
• Dunno: don't know.

Gotta is a word of urgency. "I gotta run." "I gotta eat." It is not polite. It is not rude. It is just fast. It is a word that fits in a busy day. It is a word that gets you out the door. It is a small word with a big job.