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  1. Have you ever got to meet the actress in person?
  2. Have you got to meet the actress in person?
  3. Have you gotten to meet the actress in person?

I want to know what's the difference in meaning between them, apart from their unnaturaity on this question.

To me, The 1 means similar to either "did you have an opportunity to meet the actress in person" or "did you have to meet the actress in person".

On the other hand, the 2 seems to mean similar to "do you have to meet the actress in person"., and the 3 only to mean the former of the interpretations of the 1.

What do you think of them ?

It seems right that the word "ever" and "gotten" affects the sentences to mean totally different from each other.

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You are correct to sense some dissonance between ever and get to ....

Since get to meet refers to a specific opportunity, it is somewhat dissonant in conjunction with the present perfect unless the questioner is implying that such an opportunity might present itself in just a moment or in the near future:

Did you ever get to meet the actress in person? idiomatic

Have you ever got|gotten to meet the actress in person? not idiomatic if the question is focused on the past

But if the question is focused on the present and near future it is OK:

Have you ever gotten to meet the actress in person? She's my cousin, and I can arrange for you to meet her at dinner at my home this evening, if you have not met before.

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  • For the avoidance of doubt: "gotten" is American English and emphatically not British English.
    – JeremyC
    Commented Oct 5, 2018 at 22:06
  • Although not idiomatic, but quite understandable?
    – GKK
    Commented Oct 5, 2018 at 22:26
  • Have you ever gotten to meet the actress in person? do you mean it is focused on the present or near future ? To me, it only reads as "Did you ever get to meet the actress in person?"
    – GKK
    Commented Oct 5, 2018 at 22:30
  • @Evariste Galois: The dissonance you're detecting relates to aspect. The present perfect Have you ever gotten to meet the actress is person is not equivalent to the simple past Did you ever get to meet the actress in person? The simple past could be used in situations where the actress is living or dead since it does not concern itself with the present. The present perfect have gotten to meet can be used only if the actress is still alive. In 2018 I could not ask you Have you ever gotten to meet Elvis Presley?
    – TimR
    Commented Oct 6, 2018 at 8:40
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There are different idiomatic uses here:

  • idiom A:to get to do something= to manage to do it or to able to do it.
  • idiom B: to have got to do something=have to do something

1) - Have you ever got [BrE usage] to meet the actress in person? get,got,got [Have you even been able or managed to meet the actress in person?]

2) - Have you got to meet the actress in person? [Have you got to=do you have to? Do you have to meet the actress in person? have got is only used when speaking, have is used with both speaking and writing]

3) - Have you gotten [AmE usage] to meet the actress in person? [get,got,gotten] [Have you managed or been able to meet the actress in person?

The present of have/have got in English:

Have you got to do your homework now?=Do you have to do your homework now.

Two forms in the present with the same meaning.

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  • Isn't there any chance to interpret the first sentence as ""did you have ever to meet the actress in person" ?
    – GKK
    Commented Oct 5, 2018 at 22:48
  • @EvaristeGalois 1) "get to do something" versus 2) "have/have got to do something". 1) Did you ever get to meet her?[simple past]; Have you ever got/gotten [two forms] to meet her [present perfect]=manage to||2) Did you have to meet her? [simple past]; Have you ever had to meet her? [present perfect] Please focus first on the present tense of the two expressions and the fact there are two ways to say have in English: have and have got=same thing. Also, bear in mind that gotten as a past participle is only American English.
    – Lambie
    Commented Oct 5, 2018 at 23:02
  • Pardon me, I asked the question incorrectly on the comment. Could the 1 mean " Have you ever had to meet her in person? " as well ?
    – GKK
    Commented Oct 5, 2018 at 23:11
  • @EvaristeGalois No, it cannot.
    – Lambie
    Commented Oct 5, 2018 at 23:13
  • it's really interesting just to add 'ever' makes such a huge difference between the 1 and 2.
    – GKK
    Commented Oct 5, 2018 at 23:19

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