Word
Wir handeln immer gemäß der Norm.
Meaning
We always act according to the norm.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Wir handeln immer gemäß der Norm.
wir
we
immer
always
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
gemäß
according to / in accordance with (rules, standards)
Questions & Answers about Wir handeln immer gemäß der Norm.
Why does the sentence use der Norm if Norm is a feminine noun?
The preposition gemäß requires the dative case. Because Norm is a feminine noun (die Norm), the article changes to der in the dative case.
I learned that gemäß can go before or after the noun. How would that look here?
You can place gemäß right after the noun it refers to. In this sentence, you could say: Wir handeln immer der Norm gemäß. It sounds a bit more formal, but the meaning is exactly the same!
Doesn't the verb handeln mean to trade?
It can! handeln often means to trade or to bargain. However, it is also the standard verb for to act or to take action. In this sentence, it means that we behave or act in a certain way.
Can I use laut instead of gemäß here to mean according to?
It would not sound quite right. While both mean according to, gemäß is used to say you are complying with a rule, law, standard, or agreement like a norm. laut is generally used to quote a source of information, like a news report or what a person said.