obligé

obliged, forced

adjective oh-blee-ZHEH Rare

Origin: Latin obligatus, past participle of obligare

Also means

grateful, indebted (formal)

Usage Note

Obligé means compelled or forced in everyday use (je suis obligé de partir, I have to leave), but in formal correspondence it means grateful: je vous serais très obligé (I would be much obliged). The feminine form is obligée, and the related noun obligation is widely used in both legal and everyday contexts.

Examples

"Je suis obligé de refuser votre offre."

Natural Translation

I am forced to decline your offer.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

The Bonjour Rule: French Etiquette for Visitors

Always say bonjour before you ask, order, or pay in France — the unspoken rule that opens every door. A respectful visitor's guide to French etiquette.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Faire in French: To Make, To Do, and More

Faire in French means more than make and do: master faire vs rendre, weather and sports idioms, the causative, and the mistakes English speakers make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Sorry in French: Désolé vs Pardon vs Excusez-moi

Use désolé for genuine regret, pardon to bump or squeeze past, and excusez-moi to get attention. A situation-by-situation guide to saying sorry in French.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Liaison Rules: When to Link Words (and Not To)

French liaison links a silent final consonant to the next vowel. Learn the obligatory, forbidden, and optional rules, plus the s→z and d→t sound shifts.

June 4, 2026 5 min read