Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Situasjonen føles bedre nå.

The base noun is situasjon = situation.
-en is the regular definite singular ending for common‑gender nouns.
- en situasjon = a situation
- situasjonen = the situation

Norwegian usually uses the definite form when both speaker and listener know which specific situation is being talked about, which is why you get situasjonen and not just situasjon here.

Why is the verb føles used here instead of føler?

Føles is a so‑called -s verb in Norwegian and is often used to mean “feels / seems” in an impersonal, descriptive way.

å føle = to feel (actively, usually with a person as subject)
- Jeg føler meg bedre nå. = I feel better now.
å føles = to feel, to be felt, to seem (more passive/subjective state)
- Situasjonen føles bedre nå. = The situation feels better now.

Using føles focuses on how the situation is experienced, rather than what someone is actively feeling.

Is føles a reflexive verb, like føler meg?

No. Føles is not reflexive; it’s an -s verb (often called “middle voice” or passive‑like).

Reflexive: å føle seg (with a reflexive pronoun):
- Jeg føler meg trøtt. = I feel tired.
Middle/-s verb: å føles:
- Det føles rart. = It feels strange.
- Situasjonen føles bedre nå. = The situation feels better now.

With føles, you do not add a reflexive pronoun (seg, meg, deg, etc.). The -s is built into the verb form itself.

Could I say Situasjonen er bedre nå instead? What’s the difference between føles and er?

Yes, you can say:

Situasjonen er bedre nå. = The situation is better now.

But there is a nuance:

Situasjonen er bedre nå.
Sounds more objective, like a factual statement (measurable improvement, clear facts).
Situasjonen føles bedre nå.
Emphasizes a subjective experience — how the situation seems or feels to people, even if the facts might be less clear.

In many everyday contexts they overlap, but føles adds that layer of perceived improvement.

What exactly is bedre? Is it just “better”, and what is the base form?

Yes, bedre means “better”. It’s the comparative form of:

god = good (adjective, often about quality)
bra = good (very common, a bit more general/colloquial)

Comparatives:

god → bedre → best
bra → bedre → best

So:

Situasjonen er god. = The situation is good.
Situasjonen er bedre nå. = The situation is better now.
Situasjonen er best nå. = The situation is best now.

Where can I put nå in the sentence? Is Situasjonen føles bedre nå the only correct order?

Several positions are possible, and all are natural:

Situasjonen føles bedre nå.
Nå føles situasjonen bedre.
Situasjonen føles nå bedre. (less common, but not wrong; sounds a bit more formal/emphatic)

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule (the finite verb is in second position):

Nå (1st) føles (2nd) situasjonen bedre.
Situasjonen (1st) føles (2nd) bedre nå.

So you can move nå around for emphasis or style, as long as the conjugated verb føles stays in second position.

Can I leave out the subject and just say Føles bedre nå, like in English “Feels better now”?

In standard written Norwegian, you should keep the subject:

Situasjonen føles bedre nå.

However:

In very informal speech (and occasionally in informal writing like texts or chats), people might say Føles bedre nå with an implied subject (Det or Dette).
Grammatically, though, a subject is normally required in Norwegian, so for correct, neutral language, don’t drop it.

What gender is situasjon, and what are its main forms?

Situasjon is a common‑gender (en‑word) noun. Main forms:

Indefinite singular: en situasjon = a situation
Definite singular: situasjonen = the situation
Indefinite plural: situasjoner = situations
Definite plural: situasjonene = the situations

In your sentence, situasjonen is definite singular, referring to a specific, known situation.

How do I pronounce Situasjonen føles bedre nå?

Approximate pronunciation (Bokmål, standard-ish):

Situasjonen: [sɪtʉɑˈʂuːnən]
- si ≈ “si” in sit
- tua sounds like too-ah merged
- sj is like English “sh” but a bit more retroflex
- Stress on -sjo-
føles: [ˈføːləs]
- ø is like French eu in peur, German ö in schön
- Long øː: hold the vowel slightly longer
- Stress on fø-
bedre: [ˈbeːdrə] or [ˈbeːdɾe]
- e like in bed, often a bit more closed
- Soft d/r combination, often blending to a flap sound
nå: [noː]
- Like English no, but with a slightly longer vowel and usually no diphthong.

Altogether (simplified English approximation):
“si-too-AH-shoo-nen FØØ-les BEH-dre noh”

How would I say “The situation feels much better now” or “a little better now” in Norwegian?

You modify bedre with adverbs like mye (much) and litt (a little):

Situasjonen føles mye bedre nå.
= The situation feels much better now.
Situasjonen føles litt bedre nå.
= The situation feels a little better now.

You can also move nå:

Nå føles situasjonen mye bedre.
Nå føles situasjonen litt bedre.