Benutzern

Benutzern is the dative plural form of the German noun Benutzer, meaning user. It appears in sentences where the indirect object or the recipient of an action is specified, typically after verbs or prepositions that govern the dative case. The base noun bezeichnet a person who uses a product, system, or service.

Etymology and scope: Benutzer is an agent noun formed from benutzen, to use, with the common suffix -er. In IT and technology contexts, Benutzer refers to a person who interacts with software, hardware or online services. Related compounds such as Benutzernamen (username), Benutzerkonto (user account) and Benutzeroberfläche (user interface) are widely used in software documentation, help texts and policy language.

Usage notes: In standard prose, the dative plural is typically expressed with a definite article: den Benutzern or mit den Benutzern. Examples: Den Benutzern wird der Zugang gewährt. Die Funktionen stehen den Benutzern zur Verfügung. In nominative or accusative contexts, the forms are der Benutzer/die Benutzer (singular/plural) or die Benutzer (plural). The bare form Benutzern is not usually used as a stand-alone noun without a determiner, except in quoted or highly technical phrases where the context makes the case clear.

Practical relevance: The term is common in manuals, user-management contexts and IT policy texts. It underpins how groups of people who use a system are described in German technical writing.