benützen

Benützen is a verb in German meaning to make use of, to utilize, or to take advantage of. In standard usage, the form without umlaut, benutzen, is the common everyday spelling. The variant benützen exists primarily in Swiss German and in some Austrian contexts, where the umlaut form is widespread. Both spellings share the same core meaning, though the umlaut version can signal regional usage.

Etymology and forms: The verb is related to nutzen and typically appears with the prefix be-, forming a meaning close to “to make use of.” The umlauted form benützen is a regional spelling variant, most noted in Swiss Standard German and some Austrian usage. In many varieties of German, especially in formal writing, the non-umlauted benutzen is preferred.

Usage: The verb takes a direct object, as in “etwas benützen/benutzen” (to use something). In everyday Swiss German, benützen is widespread; in Standard German, benutzen is usually preferred. The related verb ausnutzen means “to exploit” and carries a more negative or opportunistic nuance, unlike the neutral use implied by benutzen/benützen. When aiming for standard, widely understood German, benutzen is generally preferred; benützen may be chosen to reflect regional feel or dialectal context.

See also: nutzen, verwenden, ausnutzen.