How to Say "to obligate" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to obligate” is “obligar” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Mis padres me obligan a limpiar mi habitación todos los sábados.
My parents force me to clean my room every Saturday.
La lluvia nos obligó a quedarnos en casa.
The rain forced us to stay at home.
El contrato te obliga a trabajar cuarenta horas por semana.
The contract requires you to work forty hours per week.
The 'A' Bridge
In Spanish, 'obligar' almost always needs the word 'a' before you say the next action. It follows the pattern: Obligar + Person + A + Action.
Spelling Shift
To keep the hard 'G' sound (like in 'gold'), the letter 'g' changes to 'gu' whenever the next letter is 'e'. For example, 'I forced' is 'obligué' (not 'obligé').
The Missing 'A'
Mistake: “Me obligaron ir al médico.”
Correction: Me obligaron A ir al médico. Spanish requires the 'a' to connect 'force' to the next action.
Related Translations
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