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.

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