Breakdown of Wie ich erwähnt habe, katalogisieren wir weder das Buch noch den Ordner.
ich
I
das Buch
the book
haben
to have
wir
we
wie
how
weder ... noch
nor
erwähnen
to mention
katalogisieren
to catalogue
der Ordner
the folder
Questions & Answers about Wie ich erwähnt habe, katalogisieren wir weder das Buch noch den Ordner.
Why does this sentence use Wie instead of a word like Als or Da for "As"?
While als and da can also translate to "as" in other contexts (like time or cause), wie is specifically used here to reference a previous statement or shared knowledge. It means "as" in the sense of "in the way that." Common examples include wie ich erwähnt habe (as I mentioned) and wie du weißt (as you know). Because it acts as a subordinating conjunction here, it sends the conjugated verb (habe) to the very end of its clause.
Why is the verb katalogisieren placed right after the comma, before the subject wir?
The entire subordinate clause (Wie ich erwähnt habe) occupies the first position of the overall sentence. Because German main clauses strictly follow the "verb-second" rule, the conjugated verb of the main clause (katalogisieren) must be in position two. It comes immediately after the comma, pushing the subject (wir) to the other side.
How does the weder ... noch construction work, and do I need to add nicht?
weder ... noch is a two-part conjunction that means "neither ... nor". You simply place weder before the first option and noch before the second. You do not add nicht or kein to the sentence, because weder and noch already contain the negative meaning.
Why are the articles different for das Buch and den Ordner?
Both the book and the folder are the direct objects of the verb katalogisieren, which means they must both be in the accusative case. Buch is a neuter noun, so its definite article stays das. However, Ordner (folder) is a masculine noun, so its article must change from der to den in the accusative.
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