Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Det finnes bare én stikkontakt i rommet, så vi deler den på den høfligste måten vi kan. - There is only one power outlet in the room, so we share it in the politest way we can.

Det finnes emphasizes existence (“there exists”). Det er states presence (“there is/are”).
In everyday speech about a specific location, Det er bare én stikkontakt i rommet is very natural. Det finnes bare én stikkontakt i rommet is also correct, a bit more formal/explicit about scarcity.
Use det finnes readily with general statements: Det finnes mange typer stikkontakter. Don’t use it for a specific item’s location: not Telefonen finnes på bordet, but Telefonen er på bordet.

Why is the numeral written as én and not en?

én (with an accent) means the numeral “one,” distinguishing it from the article en (“a/an”). It removes ambiguity: én stikkontakt = exactly one socket.
The accent is optional in informal writing, but it’s good practice when you want to stress the number.
Agreement: én (common gender), ett (neuter). Examples: én stikkontakt, ett rom.

Why is the pronoun den used for the outlet and not det?

Stikkontakt is common gender (en/ei), so the referring pronoun is den.
Use det for neuter nouns (et-words) and for dummy/expletive det constructions.

Are there synonyms for stikkontakt, and are any of them more common?

Common: stikkontakt (standard everyday word).
Also heard: kontakt (colloquial, but ambiguous), vegguttak/strømuttak (more technical).
Don’t confuse with støpsel (the plug) or lader (the charger).

Why is it i rommet and not på rommet?

i rommet = physically “in the room,” neutral choice.
på rommet is idiomatic in contexts like a hotel/bedroom (“up in the room”), especially with a possessor: på rommet mitt.
Both can occur; i rommet is safest when you just mean “inside the room.”

Why is there a comma before så?

Here så is a coordinating conjunction (“so/therefore”) linking two main clauses, and Norwegian uses a comma between such clauses: …, så ….
No comma when så is an adverb inside one clause (e.g., Han er så snill).

Could I use derfor or sånn at instead of så?

derfor (“therefore”) works, but it triggers inversion: Det er bare én …, derfor deler vi den ….
sånn at means “so that” and introduces a result/purpose clause. It would change nuance: Det er bare én stikkontakt, sånn at vi deler den ≈ “there’s only one socket, with the result that we share it.” For a clear cause→decision meaning, stick to så or derfor.

Should it be dele den or dele på den?

dele noe = share that thing: vi deler den (“we share it”).
dele på noe = share/alternate the use: vi deler på stikkontakten is very idiomatic for taking turns using an outlet.
Both are acceptable here; dele på highlights rationing/alternating a limited resource.

Why is den repeated in vi deler den på den høfligste måten …?

First den is a pronoun referring to stikkontakt (“we share it”).
Second den is the definite article in the phrase på den … måten (“in the … way”). The repetition is normal and not redundant.

Do we need som in måten vi kan?

It’s an omitted relative marker in an elliptical clause: (som) vi kan [få til/gjøre]. In such object/elliptical relatives, som is often dropped.
Both på den høfligste måten vi kan and … måten som vi kan are acceptable; without som is lighter.
If som were the subject, you’d keep it: måten som er best.

Could we say så høflig vi kan instead of på den høfligste måten vi kan?

Yes. Natural alternatives:
- …, så vi deler den så høflig vi kan.
- …, så høflig som mulig.
- …, på høfligst vis.
den mest høflige måten is correct but heavier than den høfligste måten.

Why is bare placed before én?

bare must precede the element it limits.
Det finnes bare én stikkontakt … = “only the number is one.”
Moving bare changes scope: bare i rommet would mean “only in the room,” which is a different meaning.

Is the word order following the V2 rule?

Yes. Main clause V2:
- Det (expletive) + finnes (verb) + rest.
- After the comma, så is a coordinator; the next clause has normal S–V order: vi deler ….
You can front the location: I rommet finnes det bare én stikkontakt.

Is finnes ever spelled fins/finns?

Yes, fins/finns are accepted colloquial Bokmål spellings. finnes is the standard and safest in writing.

How do the comparison forms of høflig work?

Positive: høflig.
Comparative: høfligere.
Superlative: predicative høfligst, attributive definite den høfligste (as in the sentence).
Periphrastic forms are fine: mer/mest høflig; set phrase: høfligst mulig.

Could we drop i rommet if the context is clear?

Yes: Det er bare én stikkontakt, så vi deler den … works if the location is already understood.

What’s the full paradigm for stikkontakt?

Gender: common. Forms:
- Indefinite singular: en stikkontakt
- Definite singular: stikkontakten
- Indefinite plural: stikkontakter
- Definite plural: stikkontaktene