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obliga

oh-BLEE-gah/oˈβli.ɣa/

“obliga” means “forces” in Spanish (when someone makes another person do something).

forces, requires

Also: compels, obliges
VerbA2regular ar
A child being pointed towards a pile of toys to clean up by an adult's hand.
gerundobligando
past Participleobligado
infinitiveobligar

📝 In Action

Mi jefe me obliga a trabajar los sábados.

A2

My boss forces me to work on Saturdays.

La ley obliga a llevar el cinturón de seguridad.

A2

The law requires wearing a seatbelt.

¡Obliga a los niños a recoger sus juguetes!

B1

Force the children to pick up their toys!

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • me obliga a – forces me to
  • la ley obliga – the law requires

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesobligaran
yoobligara
túobligaras
vosotrosobligarais
nosotrosobligáramos
él/ella/ustedobligara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesobliguen
yoobligue
túobligues
vosotrosobliguéis
nosotrosobliguemos
él/ella/ustedobligue

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesobligaron
yoobligué
túobligaste
vosotrosobligasteis
nosotrosobligamos
él/ella/ustedobligó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesobligaban
yoobligaba
túobligabas
vosotrosobligabais
nosotrosobligábamos
él/ella/ustedobligaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesobligan
yoobligo
túobligas
vosotrosobligáis
nosotrosobligamos
él/ella/ustedobliga
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "obliga" in Spanish:

compels→forces→obliges→requires→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: obliga

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence means 'The contract requires me to pay'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
obligar(to force) — Verb
obligación(obligation) — Noun
obligatorio(mandatory) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
amigadigacastiga
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'obligare,' which literally meant 'to bind or tie down.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: obligesFrench: oblige

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'obliga' and 'debe'?

'Obliga' implies an external force or law is making the action happen. 'Debe' is more like 'should' or 'ought to'—it's a duty but doesn't sound as forceful.