Meaning
to force, compel
- to force, to compel, to constrain, to oblige (someone to do something)
In a sentence
Il lavoro mi costringe a svegliarmi presto.
Work forces me to wake up early.
Ti hanno costretto a cambiare casa?
Did they force you to move house?
Non costringermi a scegliere subito.
Don't force me to choose right away.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| costringere | infinitive |
| costringiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| costringo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| costringete | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| costringi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| costringono | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| costringe | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| costringevamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| costringevo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| costringevate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| costringevi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| costringevano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| costringeva | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| costringemmo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| costrinsi | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| costringeste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| costringesti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| costrinsero | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| costrinse | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| costringeremo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| costringerò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| costringerete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| costringerai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| costringeranno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| costringerà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| costringiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| costringa | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| costringiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| costringa | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| costringano | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| costringa | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| costringessimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| costringessi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| costringeste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| costringessi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| costringessero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| costringesse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| costringeremmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| costringerei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| costringereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| costringeresti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| costringerebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| costringerebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| costringiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| costringete | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| costringi | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| costringendo | gerund |
| costretto | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Usually takes a direct object plus infinitive: costringere qualcuno a fare qualcosa. Learners often forget the a before the second verb.
- Stronger and more formal than obbligare; less physical than forzare. Common in news, legal, and neutral written Italian.
- In compound tenses it normally uses avere: ha costretto. Past participle agrees only when used adjectivally, not with the object.
- past participle costretto