Questions & Answers about Han kunne ikke løsne den med tangen.
Why is tangen singular when the English translation uses the plural word "pliers"?
Unlike English, where tools with two joined parts (like pliers, scissors, or tongs) are grammatically plural, Danish treats them as standard singular nouns. You use the singular en tang (a pair of pliers) and, as seen here, its singular definite form tangen (the pliers).
How is the verb løsne formed, and is this a common pattern?
It comes from the adjective løs (loose). Adding the suffix -ne to an adjective is a common way in Danish to create a verb that means "to make [adjective]". Another example you have likely seen is åben (open) becoming åbne (to open).
Why does the sentence use den for "it" instead of det?
The pronoun must match the grammatical gender of the noun it replaces. Here, den tells us that the object being loosened is a common-gender (en-word) noun, such as skruen (the screw) or bolten (the bolt). If he were trying to loosen a neuter noun like låget (the lid), you would use det.
Is there a more colloquial way to express "loosen it" in spoken Danish?
Yes, in everyday speech, a Dane might often say få den løs (get it loose) instead of using the single verb løsne. Both mean the same thing, but få den løs focuses a bit more on the successful result of the action.