Batnað

Batnað is an Icelandic term formed as the past participle of the intransitive verb batna, which means to improve, recover, or get better. Batnað is used with auxiliary verbs to indicate that improvement has occurred, as in Líðan hefur batnað (The condition has improved) or Meiðsli batnuðu/ batnað eftir meðferð (The injuries recovered after treatment; the singular form is batnaði in past tense).

Etymology and cognates: The verb batna is of Old Norse origin and is maintained across North Germanic languages to express improvement or recovery. In modern Icelandic, batna describes a change in state that moves from worse to better and is typically intransitive, focusing on the subject's condition rather than acting on a direct object.

Usage: Batnað is commonly found in medical, health, and everyday contexts, as well as when describing improvements in situations such as the economy, weather, or social conditions. Examples include Líðan manna batnaði eftir bólusetningu (People’s condition improved after vaccination) and Efnahagsástand hefur batnað (The economy has improved). The verb conveys a change for the better rather than a cosmetic or minor adjustment, and it is often used with phrases indicating progression or recovery.

Grammatical notes: Batna is intransitive; batnað functions as the past participle and is used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect constructions, while batnaði is the simple past tense. A related but transitive verb is bæta/bæta—meaning to repair or improve something directly, as in að bæta opinbert kerfi.

See also: batna (to get better), bæta (to repair or improve something).