tryna

English

Alternative forms

• trynna, tryinna, try'na, try'n'a

Etymology

Reduction of trying to.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɹaɪ(ə)nə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪnə

Verb

tryna (auxiliary)

1. (slang, chiefly African-American) a future modal indicating intent
   • 1993, “U.N.I.T.Y.”, in Black Reign, performed by Queen Latifah:

     Every time I hear a brother call a girl a bitch or a ho / Tryna make a sister feel low / You know all of that gots to go

   • 2001, Adam F featuring MOP (lyrics and music), “Stand Clear”:

     You get caught in the middle, tryna dribble on my court

   • 2007 February 4, Kelefa Sanneh, “Friends, Feuds, Yelps, Sobs and a Swedish Nightingale”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     […] Mr. Kelly’s verse outshines all the others (“I’m tryna keep it R&B/But these streets is a part of me,” he sings, ascending into falsetto); he gives the chorus a tuneful makeover too.

   • 2019, Stormzy (lyrics and music), “Vossi Bop”:

     Catch me up in snowin, in my sliders and my shorts / Chicks tryna get my brotha Flips to share his thoughts

   • 2019, Amanda Koci, Henry Walter, Charlie Puth, Maria Smith, Victor Thellm Gigi Grombacher, Roland Spreckle (lyrics and music), “So Am I”, performed by Ava Max:

     You're beautiful, but misunderstood / So why you tryna be just like the neighborhood?

   • 2023 November 7 (date recorded), Chae Young Park [i.e., Rosé], Bruno Mars [pseudonym; Peter Gene Hernandez] [et al.] (lyrics and music), “Apt.”, in Rosie, performed by Rosé and Bruno Mars, New York, N.Y.: Atlantic Records; Seoul, South Korea: The Black Label, published 18 October 2024:

     Kissy face, kissy face / Sent to your phone, but / I'm tryna kiss your lips for real (uh-huh, uh-huh)

See also

• finna, gonna, wanna, gotta, oughta, Imma

Anagrams

• ATryn, Taryn, ranty, tyran