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be obligated to

[/bi ˈɑːblɪɡeɪtɪd tuː/]
verb phrase
estar obrigado a; ser obrigado a
1. to be required or compelled to do something; to have a duty or responsibility to do something
I am obligated to pay my taxes on time.
Sou obrigado a pagar meus impostos no prazo.
2. to be indebted or grateful to someone for a favor or kindness
We are obligated to thank our sponsors for their support.
Estamos obrigados a agradecer aos nossos patrocinadores pelo apoio.
3. to be bound by law, contract, or moral duty
Companies are obligated to follow environmental regulations.
As empresas são obrigadas a seguir as regulamentações ambientais.
NYC Slang
gotta; have to
Synonyms
be required tobe bound tobe compelled tohave tomustbe duty-bound to
Antonyms
be free tobe at liberty tobe allowed tobe permitted to

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ser obrigado a; estar obrigado a
most common usage in Brazil
São Paulo
ser obrigado a; ter que
frequently used with 'ter que' as alternative
Rio de Janeiro
ser obrigado a; precisar
sometimes replaced with 'precisar' in informal speech
Portugal
estar obrigado a; ser obrigado a
both forms accepted; 'estar obrigado' more common in legal contexts

Related Idioms & Phrases

feel obligated to do something
be legally obligated to
be morally obligated to
obligated by law
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