Obbligare

Obbligare is an Italian transitive verb meaning to oblige or to compel someone to do something. It indicates that a person or entity is required, by law, contract, or moral expectation, to take a specified action. The construction typically involves the indirect object representing the obliged party and an infinitive clause or a che-clause, for example: La legge obbliga i cittadini a pagare le tasse (The law obliges citizens to pay taxes); L’accordo obbliga entrambe le parti a rispettare i termini (The agreement obliges both parties to respect the terms).

Etymology and sense development trace the verb to Latin obligare, from ob- + ligare, meaning to bind. Over time, the sense shifted from literal binding to imposing an obligation or duty.

Conjugation and usage: obbligare is a regular -gare verb. In the present indicative, forms are: io obbligo, tu obblighi, lui/lei obbliga, noi obblighiamo, voi obbligate, loro obbligano. The past participle is obbligato, used with avere to form compound tenses (ho obbligato, hai obbligato, ecc.). The verb commonly appears with a following infinitive (obbligare qualcuno a fare qualcosa) or with a che-clause in other tenses.

Related forms and nuances: the noun obbligo means obligation or duty, and in finance the term obbligazione refers to a bond or debt obligation. The verb and its derivatives are used across legal, contractual, and ethical contexts to convey compulsory action.

See also: Obbligo; Obbligazione (finanza). Examples illustrate typical usage in expressing legal or formal requirements.