When talking about rules, regulations, and standards in the workplace, you often need to say that something is done "according to" or "in accordance with" a specific guideline. In German, you use the preposition gemäß.
The Dative Case
Gemäß always requires the Dative case. Like most prepositions, it usually sits right before the noun it modifies. For example, with the neuter noun das Handbuch (the manual), you use the Dative article dem:
| According to the manual, this procedure is safe. | Gemäß dem Handbuch ist dieses Verfahren sicher. |
Flexible Positioning
What makes gemäß unique is its flexibility: it can also be placed after the noun it modifies. This is called a postposition. This placement is very common in formal or written German, and the meaning does not change at all.
| He acts according to the guideline. | Er handelt der Richtlinie gemäß. |
Regardless of whether you place gemäß before or after the noun, the noun always stays in the Dative case.
Here it is positioned before a feminine noun (die Norm becomes der Norm):
| We always act according to the norm. | Wir handeln immer gemäß der Norm. |
And here it is positioned after a masculine noun (der Standard becomes dem Standard):
| The helmet was tested according to the standard. | Der Helm wurde dem Standard gemäß geprüft. |
In Context
Because gemäß is so closely tied to rules and compliance, you will see it constantly when discussing safety gear, protocols, and proper procedures. It works seamlessly alongside other complex sentence structures, like infinitive clauses (anstatt ... zu).
| We must work according to the guideline, instead of acting fast. | Wir müssen der Richtlinie gemäß arbeiten, anstatt schnell zu handeln. |
| According to the works council, the helmets are too expensive. | Gemäß dem Betriebsrat sind die Helme zu teuer. |
| The protective clothing was produced according to the new norm. | Die Schutzkleidung wurde gemäß der neuen Norm produziert. |