obedecer
/obedeˈθeɾ/
To obey in Spanish is obedecer.
Obedecer is a verb used to describe the act of doing as one is told.
Meaning: to do as one is told (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
When the object of obedience is a person, you must use the personal a before the person's name or pronoun, such as in obedecer a. When the object of obedience is an inanimate thing like a law or a rule, you do not use the personal a, using just obedecer.
How do you pronounce it?
/obedeˈθeɾ/
Did you know?
- While obedecer is the standard verb, Spanish often uses the phrase hacer caso to mean 'obey' or 'listen to' in casual, everyday settings with children.
- The verb obedecer is a direct descendant of the Latin 'oboedire', which literally meant 'to listen to' or 'to pay attention to'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the concept of obedecer is tied to the social value of respeto, where obeying elders is seen as a mark of honor rather than just submission.
Examples in context
- Debo obedecer a Tom.I must obey Tom.Tatoeba #2968541 by marcelostockle, translation #2387286 by CK
- Deberías obedecer la ley.You should obey the law.Tatoeba #5946724 by baudelaire, translation #9381439 by DJ_Saidez
- Prometí que lo obedecería.I promised to obey him.Tatoeba #2419018 by marcelostockle, translation #2419457 by MarlonX19
- Por favor, le ruego que me obedezca en este asunto tan importante.Please, I urge you to obey me in this matter that is so important.
- Debemos acatar las órdenes del director sin cuestionar.We must obey the director's orders without questioning.
- Es necesario cumplir las reglas establecidas.It is necessary to obey the established rules.
- ¡Niños, deben obedecer a su madre sin discutir!Kids, you must obey your mother without arguing!
- Si no me haces caso, te castigaré sin televisión.If you don't obey me, I'll punish you by taking away the TV.
- Todos los empleados deben seguir las órdenes del jefe.All employees must follow the boss's orders.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about their new puppy at home.
- SofíaEl cachorro es muy travieso, Mateo.The puppy is very naughty, Mateo.
- MateoSí, le cuesta mucho obedecer.Yes, he has a hard time obeying.
- SofíaDebemos entrenarlo con mucha paciencia.We must train him with a lot of patience.
- MateoTienes razón, Sofía, será difícil.You are right, Sofía, it will be difficult.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “obey” translations and entries obedecer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries obedecer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
