[General] Don't feel obligated to answer

[Silverobama]

Hi.

I asked someone a question. I don't want him to feel embarrassed so I said "Don't feel obligated to answer" to him. I wanted to tell him "You don't need to answer if you don't want to". I wonder if the italic sentence is natural.

 

[Rollercoaster1]

I have heard 'I am not obliged to answer your question'. I don't know if 'obligated' can be substituted in this term.


I am not a teacher.

 

[GoesStation]

I asked someone a question. I don't want him to feel embarrassed so I said "Don't feel obligated to answer" to him. I wanted to tell him "You don't need to answer if you don't want to". I wonder if the italic sentence is natural.

Yes, it's fine.

 

[Rover_KE]

I have heard 'I am not obliged to answer your question'. I don't know if 'obligated' can be substituted in this context.

It can.

 

[Tdol]

I hear American speakers use obligated more than British ones. In BrE we tend to go for obliged, though I suspect that obligated is getting more common- I never heard it as a child, but I do hear it now.

 

[Tarheel]

Hi.

I asked someone a question. I didn't want him to feel embarrassed so I said "Don't feel obligated to answer" to him. I wanted to tell him "You don't need to answer if you don't want to". I wonder if the italic sentence is natural.