Die Unterlagen sind gut sortiert.

The documents are well sorted.

Breakdown of Die Unterlagen sind gut sortiert.

• sein: to be
• gut: well
• die Unterlage: the document
• sortiert: sorted

Questions & Answers about Die Unterlagen sind gut sortiert.

Why is it sind and not ist?

Because Unterlagen is plural. The subject Die Unterlagen takes the 3rd person plural verb sind. If you were talking about a single item, you would use ist (e.g., Die Unterlage ist ...), though for one “document” Germans more commonly say Das Dokument ist ....

What case is Die Unterlagen, and what role does it play?

It is nominative plural and functions as the subject of the sentence. Note that with the definite article, nominative and accusative plural look the same (die Unterlagen), so the linking verb sind and word order make clear this is the subject.

Is Unterlagen always plural? Can I use the singular Unterlage?

• For “documents/paperwork,” German typically uses the plural die Unterlagen.
• The singular die Unterlage exists. In administrative contexts it can mean “a (supporting) document,” but in everyday language Unterlage more often means “pad/mat/underlay.”
• If you mean exactly one document, das Dokument is the safest choice.

How does Unterlagen compare to Dokumente, Akten, or Papiere?

• Unterlagen: broad, often administrative—everything you need for a case/application, “paperwork.”
• Dokumente: neutral “documents.”
• Akten (usually plural): files/dossiers, often for cases at offices or in law.
• Papiere: informal for “papers” or “ID papers” depending on context.

What exactly does gut do here?

Gut is an adverb meaning “well” and modifies sortiert. Nuances:

• gut sortiert = sorted well (neatly, usefully, with a sensible system).
• sehr gut sortiert = very well sorted (intensifier).
• richtig sortiert = correctly sorted (according to the correct rule/criterion).

Is sortiert an adjective or a participle here?

It’s the past participle (Partizip II) of sortieren used predicatively after sein, so it functions like an adjective describing a state. In this predicative use, there is no adjective ending: ... sind gut sortiert.

How would it look if I put the description before the noun?

Then the adjective takes an ending:

• gut sortierte Unterlagen (no article)
• die gut sortierten Unterlagen (with definite article)
• meine gut sortierten Unterlagen (with a possessive) Example: Die gut sortierten Unterlagen liegen auf dem Tisch.

Why use sein + Partizip II here? Is this a passive?

Yes—it’s the state passive (Zustandspassiv). Die Unterlagen sind (gut) sortiert describes the resulting state. By contrast, the event/process passive (Vorgangspassiv) focuses on the action: Die Unterlagen werden sortiert = the documents are being sorted.

How do I say the action has happened: “have been sorted”?

Use the perfect of the event passive: Die Unterlagen sind (gut) sortiert worden. That reports the completed action. Your original sentence ... sind gut sortiert reports the current state.

Where can gut go? Could I say ... sind sortiert gut?

Place adverbs like gut before the participle/adjective: ... sind gut sortiert. You can also intensify: ... sind sehr gut sortiert. Putting gut after (... sortiert gut) is unidiomatic.

How do I specify the sorting criterion (by date, by name, etc.)?

Common patterns:

• nach + Dativ: Die Unterlagen sind nach Datum/Name(n)/Kundennummer sortiert.
• Adverbs: alphabetisch, chronologisch, numerisch. You can combine them with quality: Die Unterlagen sind sehr gut nach Datum sortiert.

Are there close synonyms to gut sortiert in this context?

Yes, with slight nuances:

• gut geordnet / geordnet = well organized.
• ordentlich (sortiert/abgelegt) = neat and tidy.
• übersichtlich (abgelegt) = arranged so things are easy to find.
• (gut) abgelegt / einsortiert = filed (away), focuses on filing into folders/systems.

How do I pronounce the key words?

• Unterlagen: roughly “OON-ter-lah-gen” (hard g as in “go”; stress on the first syllable: UN-ter-lagen).
• sortiert: roughly “zor-TEERT” (initial s like English z; long “ie” = “ee”; final t clearly pronounced). Native IPA: Unterlagen [ˈʊntɐˌlaːɡn̩], sortiert [zɔʁˈtiːɐ̯t].

Why is Unterlagen capitalized but gut sortiert is not?

All nouns are capitalized in German, hence Unterlagen. Adjectives and adverbs like gut and participles used adjectivally like sortiert are lowercase unless they begin the sentence or are part of a title.

Is sortieren a separable verb? How is its participle formed?

No, sortieren is not separable. It’s a regular (weak) verb: Perfekt with haben and participle sortiert (e.g., Ich habe die Unterlagen gut sortiert.).

Does gut sortiert ever mean “well-stocked” (about shops)?

Yes. Attributively with shops, ein gut sortiertes Geschäft means “a well-stocked store” (good range/assortment). With Unterlagen, though, it keeps the literal sense “well sorted/organized.”