whatcha

English

Alternative forms

• watcha, wotcha, wotcher, whatchya, whutcha

Etymology

From what +‎ -cha.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈwɒtʃə/, /ˈwɒtʃjə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈwʌt͡ʃə/, /ˈwʌt͡ʃjə/
• Rhymes: (UK) -ɒtʃə, (US) -ʌtʃə
• Homophones: watcher, wotcher (UK, non-rhotic)

Contraction

whatcha

1. (colloquial) Contraction of what +‎ are +‎ you.

   Whatcha doin'?

   Whatcha talking 'bout?

   Whatcha sayin'?

   • 1986 February 1, Nicholas Deutsch, “7th Annual New York Gay Film Festival”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 28, page 8:

     There were plenty of ostentatiously noisy walkouts during the last half of Eric De Kuyper's Naughty Boys (Netherlands), which is understandable. On the other hand, I loved the film and found it continually fascinating, so whatcha gonna do?

2. (colloquial) Contraction of what +‎ have +‎ you.

   Whatcha been up to?

3. (colloquial) Contraction of what +‎ do +‎ you.

   Whatcha think?

   Whatcha got there?

   Whatcha wanna do now?

4. (colloquial) Contraction of what +‎ you.

   Do whatcha gotta do!

   'Tain't whatcha do, it's the way thatcha do it.