Breakdown of Gemäß dem Handbuch ist dieses Verfahren sicher.
sein
to be
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
sicher
sure / certain
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
Questions & Answers about Gemäß dem Handbuch ist dieses Verfahren sicher.
Why is it dem Handbuch and not das Handbuch?
The preposition gemäß always requires the dative case. Since the word for manual is neuter (das Handbuch), the dative article changes to dem.
The lesson mentions gemäß can go after the noun. How would that look in this sentence?
You could write Dem Handbuch gemäß ist dieses Verfahren sicher. When placed after the noun, gemäß still forces the dative case. Both versions mean the exact same thing, though putting it after the noun can sometimes sound a bit more formal.
Why is the verb ist before the subject dieses Verfahren?
This is the classic verb-second rule in German. The entire phrase Gemäß dem Handbuch occupies position 1 in the sentence. Therefore, the verb ist must take position 2, pushing the subject (dieses Verfahren) into position 3.
Could I use laut instead of gemäß here?
Yes, you could say Laut dem Handbuch and it would mean roughly the same thing. However, gemäß has a slightly stronger flavor of complying with rules or guidelines, which fits perfectly when talking about official procedures and manuals.