Breakdown of Er behandelt das Register vorsichtig, wie wir besprochen haben.
er
he
haben
to have
wir
we
wie
how
vorsichtig
careful / carefully
besprechen
to discuss (talk over)
behandeln
to handle
das Register
the index
Questions & Answers about Er behandelt das Register vorsichtig, wie wir besprochen haben.
I thought wie meant 'how'. Why does it mean 'as' here?
You are right that wie is usually the question word 'how'. However, it is also used as a subordinating conjunction to refer back to something people already know or previously agreed on. Here, wie wir besprochen haben means 'as we discussed' or 'in the way that we discussed'.
Because wie acts as a subordinating conjunction, does that explain the word order at the end?
Exactly. Since wie introduces a subordinate clause, it kicks the conjugated verb to the very end. That is why the helping verb haben comes right after the past participle besprochen.
Wait, doesn't Register mean a cash register in a store?
That is a very common false friend! A cash register in a shop is die Kasse. In German, das Register refers to an index in a book, a database of official records, or a musical register.
Could I use the normal verb for speaking and say wie wir gesprochen haben?
Using besprochen is much better here. The verb besprechen means 'to discuss' a specific topic, which fits perfectly because they made a plan about the index. Gesprochen just means 'spoken', which does not convey that a specific agreement was made.
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