The Spanish verb "obligar" means "to oblige/force" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "obligar" across all 5 tenses. New to Spanish verbs? Start with the Spanish verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "obligar" in the Present Tense
Presente de indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | obligo |
| tú | you (informal) | obligas |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | obliga |
| nosotros | we | obligamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | obligáis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | obligan |
Ella obliga a todos.
say it EH-yah oh-BLEE-gah ah TOH-dohs
She forces everyone.
In other languages
- French Elle force tout le monde.
- German Sie zwingt alle.
- Dutch Zij dwingt iedereen.
Yo obligo a mi hermano.
say it YOH oh-BLEE-goh ah mee ehr-MAH-noh
I force my brother.
In other languages
- French Je force mon frère.
- German Ich zwinge meinen Bruder.
- Dutch Ik dwing mijn broer.
How to Conjugate "obligar" in the Past (completed) Tense
Pretérito perfecto simple Actions that finished in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | obligué |
| tú | you (informal) | obligaste |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | obligó |
| nosotros | we | obligamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | obligasteis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | obligaron |
Ella obligó a todos.
say it EH-yah oh-blee-GOH ah TOH-dohs
She forced everyone.
In other languages
- French Elle a forcé tout le monde.
- German Sie zwang alle.
- Dutch Zij dwong iedereen.
Yo obligué a mi hermano.
say it yo oh-blee-GEH ah mee ehr-MAH-noh
I forced my brother.
In other languages
- French J'ai forcé mon frère.
- German Ich zwang meinen Bruder.
- Dutch Ik dwong mijn broer.
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Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "obligar" in the Past (ongoing) Tense
Pretérito imperfecto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | obligaba |
| tú | you (informal) | obligabas |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | obligaba |
| nosotros | we | obligábamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | obligabais |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | obligaban |
Ella obligaba a todos.
say it EH-yah oh-blee-GAH-bah ah TOH-dohs
She was forcing everyone.
In other languages
- French Elle forçait tout le monde.
- German Sie zwang jeden.
- Dutch Zij dwong iedereen.
Yo obligaba a mi hermano.
say it yo oh-blee-GAH-bah ah mee er-MAH-no
I was forcing my brother.
In other languages
- French Je forçais mon frère.
- German Ich zwang meinen Bruder.
- Dutch Ik dwong mijn broer.
How to Conjugate "obligar" in the Future Tense
Futuro simple Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | obligaré |
| tú | you (informal) | obligarás |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | obligará |
| nosotros | we | obligaremos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | obligaréis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | obligarán |
Ella obligará al niño.
say it EH-yah oh-blee-gah-RÁ al NEE-nyoh
She will force the child.
In other languages
- French Elle forcera l'enfant.
- German Sie wird das Kind zwingen.
- Dutch Zij zal het kind dwingen.
Yo obligaré a mi hijo.
say it yo oh-blee-gah-RÉ ah mee EE-ho
I will force my son.
In other languages
- French Je forcerai mon fils.
- German Ich werde meinen Sohn zwingen.
- Dutch Ik zal mijn zoon dwingen.
How to Conjugate "obligar" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condicional simple Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | obligaría |
| tú | you (informal) | obligarías |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | obligaría |
| nosotros | we | obligaríamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | obligaríais |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | obligarían |
Ella obligaría al niño.
say it EH-yah oh-blee-gah-REE-ah al NEE-nyoh
She would force the boy.
In other languages
- French Elle forcerait le garçon.
- German Sie würde den Jungen zwingen.
- Dutch Zij zou de jongen dwingen.
Yo obligaría a mi hijo.
say it yo oh-blee-gah-REE-ah ah mee EE-hoh
I would force my son.
In other languages
- French Je forcerais mon fils.
- German Ich würde meinen Sohn zwingen.
- Dutch Ik zou mijn zoon dwingen.
Frequently Asked Questions About "obligar"
Is "obligar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"Obligar" is a regular Spanish verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "obligar" mean in English?
The Spanish verb "obligar" means "to oblige/force" in English.
How do you conjugate "obligar" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente de indicativo): yo → obligo, tú → obligas, él/ella/usted → obliga, nosotros → obligamos, vosotros → obligáis, ellos/ustedes → obligan.
How many tenses does "obligar" have in Spanish?
"Obligar" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Spanish: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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