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Hi Sandy!

Thanks for your question! Let's start by looking at how we usually use so and really:



   I really want to go there.
   I'm so keen to go there.

The words really and so are intensifiers - they emphasise the word that follows them. In the first sentence, really intensifies the verb want. But in the second sentence, so intensifies the adjective keen.

In your example, I so want to go there, the rule 'really - verb; so - adjective' has been broken, and so has been used with a verb! This is definitely an example of 'teen speak' - slang language used by young people - and it's a relatively new phenomenon: it certainly wasn't in use in the UK when I was young!

Here are some more examples of this structure. It seems to be most often used to express personal opinion, so most of them start with the first person I. Regarding pronunciation, when you say these sentences, you stress the so:

   I'm so looking forward to this movie.
   I so don't like her new boyfriend.
   I so didn't want to go to that party.    
   I so love your dress!    
   You are so gonna be in trouble when you get home.

Strictly speaking, all these sentences are grammatically wrong, and you'd be very unlikely to see them in written English. But it's fair to say that if you spend time talking to fashionable young people in English-speaking countries, you'll probably hear sentences like these from time to time.

For more examples of words and phrases that have recently come in to use in British English, such as innit, manky and D-list, have a look at our series 'Keep your English up to date' with Professor David Crystal.

Catherine