Word
Manden bruger tangen og skiftenøglen.
Meaning
The man uses the pliers and the adjustable wrench.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Manden bruger tangen og skiftenøglen.
manden
the man
og
and
bruge
to use / to spend (money, time) / to need (together with the modal of obligation)
tangen
the pliers
Questions & Answers about Manden bruger tangen og skiftenøglen.
Why is tangen in the singular form when the English translation is plural?
English treats tools with two joined parts like pliers or scissors as plural, but Danish treats them as singular objects. Therefore, a single pair of pliers is en tang, and the specific tool used here is the singular definite tangen.
Since tangen is singular, how do you spell the plural if he were using multiple pairs of pliers?
The noun tang has an irregular plural with a vowel change. If he were using multiple pairs, the indefinite plural is tænger, and the definite plural is tængerne.
What is the literal meaning behind the compound word skiftenøglen?
It combines skifte (to shift or change) and nøglen (the key). Danish often uses nøgle to mean wrench, so an adjustable wrench is literally a shift-key because you can adjust its size.
Could I use the verb benytter instead of bruger here?
You could, as benytter also means to use or make use of something. However, bruger is the most natural choice for everyday physical actions like using hand tools. Benytter sounds slightly more formal.