tryna
verb/ˈtɹaɪ(ə)nə/
Etymology Elision of trying to. Chiefly AAVE, though also a natural realization of trying to in many other dialects. Cf. finna, gonna.
Chiefly African-American Vernacular
- 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 go1993, “U.N.I.T.Y.”, in Black Reign, performed by Queen Latifah:
- You get caught in the middle, tryna dribble on my court2001, Adam F featuring MOP, “Stand Clear”:
4 more examples
- […] 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.2007 February 4, Kelefa Sanneh, “Friends, Feuds, Yelps, Sobs and a Swedish Nightingale”, in New York Times:
- Catch me up in snowin, in my sliders and my shorts / Chicks tryna get my brotha Flips to share his thoughts2019, Stormzy, “Vossi Bop”:
- You're beautiful, but misunderstood / So why you tryna be just like the neighborhood?2019, Amanda Koci, Henry Walter, Charlie Puth, Maria Smith, Victor Thellm Gigi Grombacher, Roland Spreckle, “So Am I”, performed by Ava Max:
- Kissy face, kissy face / Sent to your phone, but / I'm tryna kiss your lips for real (uh-huh, uh-huh)2023 November 7 (date recorded), Chae Young Park [i.e., Rosé]; Bruno Mars [pseudonym; Peter Gene Hernandez] [et al.], “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: