Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| obbligatorio | /ob.bli.ɡaˈtɔ.rjo/ |
| richiesto | /riˈkjɛs.to/ /riˈkjes.to/ |
| necessario | /ne.t͡ʃesˈsa.rjo/ |
The word obbligatorio is used to describe something that is obligatory. When you want to express that a general rule or action is mandatory, Italians often use the impersonal construction è obbligatorio followed by an infinitive or a clause.
Which one should you use?
While obbligatorio implies a legal or formal obligation, richiesto is often used to mean 'required' in the sense of a prerequisite or something requested, such as 'required documents'. In contrast, necessario is used to express that something is needed or essential for a purpose rather than being a legal mandate.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective obbligatorio must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, changing to obbligatoria for feminine nouns. The adjective obbligatorio changes to obbligatori when modifying masculine plural nouns and obbligatorie when modifying feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
obbligatorio is pronounced /ob.bli.ɡaˈtɔ.rjo/. It has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- The term richiesto can shift meaning based on context. While it means 'required', in a social setting it can imply that someone is 'in demand' or popular.
- While obbligatorio is used for laws, an Italian might use the word dovere to describe a moral or social mandate, moving from an adjective to a verb.
- In Italian law, the phrase obbligatorio is often contrasted with facoltativo, which describes something optional or left to one's own discretion.
Examples in context
- In Brasile, votare è obbligatorio.In Brazil, voting is mandatory.This sentence shows how to say voting is mandatory in Brazil using obbligatorio.Tatoeba #7798098 by Guybrush88, translation #7500384 by Ricardo14
- Votare dovrebbe essere obbligatorio?Should voting be mandatory?This sentence uses obbligatorio to ask if voting should be mandatory.Tatoeba #7124241 by Guybrush88, translation #7123083 by CM
- In Francia, votare non è obbligatorio.In France, voting isn't mandatory.This sentence uses obbligatorio to state that voting is not mandatory in France.Tatoeba #11921555 by Guybrush88, translation #6822324 by Objectivesea
- Il pagamento della tassa è obbligatorio entro la data indicata.The payment of the fee is mandatory by the indicated date.
- È prescritto dalla legge indossare la cintura di sicurezza.It is prescribed by law to wear a seatbelt.
- Il conferimento dei dati è imposto dalla normativa sulla privacy.The provision of data is imposed by privacy regulations.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara asks Francesco about the requirements for a new job.
- FrancescoÈ obbligatorio indossare la divisa?Is wearing the uniform mandatory?
- ChiaraSì, per tutti i nuovi dipendenti.Yes, for all new employees.
- FrancescoE anche un corso di formazione?And a training course too?
- ChiaraSì, è un requisito obbligatorio.Yes, it is a mandatory requirement.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mandatory” translations and entries obbligatorio, richiesto, necessario, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
