Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi bruker lykten når strømmen går enten på kjøkkenet eller i stuen. - We use the flashlight when the power goes out either in the kitchen or in the living room.

In Norwegian, gå is the idiomatic verb for electricity or machines stopping unexpectedly. Strømmen går literally means “the power goes,” but idiomatically it means “the power goes out.” Using stoppe (“stop”) or slå av (“turn off”) would imply you or someone actively stopped the power, not that it failed by itself.

What does lykten mean, and why is it in the definite form?

Lykten is the definite form of lykt, meaning “lantern” or “torch.” In this sentence we use the definite form because we’re talking about a specific lantern that both speaker and listener know about—“the lantern.”

Why is når used here, and how is it different from da?

Når means “when” in the sense of “whenever” or “any time that.” It introduces a recurring or general condition. Da is used for a single, specific past event (“when that happened”). Since electrical outages can happen multiple times, når is correct.

How does the construction enten … eller work in Norwegian?

Enten … eller corresponds to English “either … or.” You place enten before the first option and eller before the second. Here it’s enten på kjøkkenet (“either in the kitchen”) eller i stuen (“or in the living room”).

Why are the room names kjøkkenet and stuen in the definite form and preceded by different prepositions?

Both rooms are in definite form (ending in -et) because you refer to specific rooms in your house. As for prepositions: in Norwegian you say på kjøkkenet (“in the kitchen”) and i stuen (“in the living room”) by convention. Some rooms take på (kitchen, bathroom) and others i (living room, bedroom). You just learn which goes with which.

Could you also say når strømmen går i kjøkkenet eller på stuen?

No. The standard is på kjøkkenet and i stuen. Swapping them would sound wrong to a native speaker. Preposition–room pairs are fixed by usage, so it’s best to memorize them.

Is the word order in Vi bruker lykten når strømmen går … always subject–verb–object, even with the time clause in the middle?

Yes. The main clause Vi bruker lykten stays SVO. The subordinate clause når strømmen går enten … is inserted after the main verb. You could also place the time clause first (“Når strømmen går …, bruker vi lykten”), but then you must invert subject and verb in the main clause: bruker vi lykten.

How would you express that you use the lantern only if the power goes out in both rooms simultaneously?

You would swap enten with både … og (“both … and”). For example:
Vi bruker lykten når strømmen går både på kjøkkenet og i stuen.
This means the lantern is used when the power fails in both rooms at the same time.

Can you replace lykten with a pronoun after you mention it once?

Yes. After introducing lykten, you can refer back to it as den (feminine/masculine object pronoun). For example:
Vi bruker lykten når strømmen går. Når den er tom for batterier, bruker vi nødlommelykten.