obligatorisch
mandatory
Required by a rule, law, or regulation; compulsory.
EXAMPLE
Die Teilnahme am Sicherheitstraining ist für alle neuen Mitarbeiter obligatorisch.
Participation in the safety training is mandatory for all new employees.
obligatorisch
mandatory
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Meanings
Usage tips
Register and style
'Obligatorisch' (mandatory) is a formal, official word. You mainly find it in regulations, contracts, study regulations, or official notices.
EXAMPLE
In vielen Ländern ist eine Krankenversicherung obligatorisch.
In many countries, health insurance is mandatory.
Sentence structure and usage
The adjective is very often used with the verb 'sein' (to be) predicatively. To express for whom something is mandatory, the preposition 'für' (for) with the accusative is used.
EXAMPLE
Das Tragen eines Helms ist für alle Radfahrer auf dem Werksgelände obligatorisch.
Wearing a helmet is mandatory for all cyclists on the company premises.
Typical collocations
Common nouns used with 'obligatorisch' (mandatory) are 'Teilnahme' (participation), 'Kurs' (course), 'Fach' (subject, in school/university), or 'Prüfung' (exam).
EXAMPLE
Der Erste-Hilfe-Kurs ist ein obligatorischer Teil der Führerscheinausbildung.
The first-aid course is a mandatory part of driving-license training.
Compare with
obligatorisch vs zwingend
mandatory / compelling
Zwingend and obligatorisch can both describe required participation or action. Obligatorisch clearly refers to a rule or regulation, while zwingend can also express a practical necessity that cannot be avoided. Use obligatorisch for a formal rule, and zwingend when the lack of an alternative is the focus.
obligatorisch
Die Teilnahme am Einführungskurs ist laut Schulordnung obligatorisch.
According to the school regulations, attendance at the introductory course is mandatory.
zwingend
Die Teilnahme am Einführungskurs ist zwingend, weil man sonst die nötigen Informationen nicht erhält.
Attendance at the introductory course is essential because otherwise participants will not receive the necessary information.
In real life
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