01
nützen
to be useful
To bring an advantage or benefit; to be helpful or advantageous.
example
Eine dicke Jacke nützt bei diesem kalten Wetter sehr.
A thick jacket is very useful in this cold weather.
nützen
to be useful / to use
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Use with the dative
When 'nützen' means 'to be helpful', the person who receives the benefit is in the dative. The thing that is useful is the subject of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Dein Ratschlag hat mir sehr genützt.
Your advice was very useful to me.
Fixed expression
The impersonal expression 'es nützt nichts' (it's no use) is very common. It expresses that an action is pointless or does not lead to the desired result.
EXAMPLE
Es nützt nichts, wir müssen die ganze Arbeit noch einmal machen.
It's no use; we have to do all the work again.
Rhetorical question
The expression 'Was nützt es...?' (What good is it...?) introduces a rhetorical question to emphasize the uselessness of something. It is often followed by a 'wenn' clause that describes the limitation.
EXAMPLE
Was nützt das teuerste Fahrrad, wenn man es nie fährt?
What good is the most expensive bicycle if you never ride it?
Compare with
nützen vs bringen
to bring
'bringen' and 'nützen' can both refer to a positive result. 'bringen' generally says that something causes a result or consequence. For example, you can ask: 'Was bringt das?' (what will that achieve?). 'nützen' is more specific: something helps someone or has a benefit. The words can be confused because 'Das bringt etwas' and 'Das nützt etwas' seem similar. But 'bringen' is broader and can also refer to neutral or negative consequences. 'nützen' fits especially when you want to say that something is helpful or worthwhile.
nützen
Was nützt ein schneller Plan, wenn ihn niemand versteht?
What good is a quick plan if no one understands it?
bringen
Mehr Übung bringt dir sicher bessere Ergebnisse in der Prüfung.
More practice will surely bring you better results in the exam.
In real life
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