Skip to content

obbligo

obligation

noun OHB-blee-goh Common
People & Society Law

Origin: Latin obligatio, from obligare (to bind)

Also means

duty

Usage Note

Obbligo means a binding duty or legal requirement, not simply politeness. The plural obblighi keeps the hard 'g'. Common phrase: avere l'obbligo di ('to be obliged to'). Distinguish it from dovere, which can be moral or situational.

Examples

"Hai l'obbligo di rispettare le regole."

Natural Translation

You are obliged to follow the rules.

Literal Translation

You-have the obligation to respect the rules.

Explore Italian by topic