Niedawno wyruszyliśmy na wędrówkę.

Because Polish often omits subject pronouns when they are clear from the verb form.

In wyruszyliśmy, the ending -śmy tells you the subject is we. So:

• wyruszyliśmy = we set off / we departed

You could say My niedawno wyruszyliśmy na wędrówkę, but my is usually added only for emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

Niedawno means recently, not long ago, or a short time ago.

It refers to something that happened in the recent past, but it is a bit general. It does not tell you exactly when.

Examples:

• Niedawno wróciłem. = I came back recently.
• Niedawno ją poznałem. = I met her not long ago.

It is a very natural adverb in everyday Polish.

Wyruszyliśmy is the past tense, 1st person plural form of wyruszyć.

So it means:

• we set off
• we departed
• we started out

It is built from:

• wyruszyć = infinitive
• wyruszyli- = past stem
• -śmy = we

A very useful thing to notice is that Polish past-tense verb forms often show:

1. person
2. number
3. sometimes gender distinction in the plural

This is a gender-related plural distinction in the Polish past tense.

• wyruszyliśmy is used for a group that is:
  • all male, or
  • mixed-gender
• wyruszyłyśmy is used for a group of only females

So:

• a mixed group says wyruszyliśmy
• a group of women says wyruszyłyśmy

This is very common in Polish past tense and in some other plural forms.

Because after a verb of movement like wyruszyć, the preposition na often takes the accusative case when it means something like for, on, or to take part in an activity/event.

Here:

• wędrówka = hike, trek, wandering
• na wędrówkę = for a hike / on a hike

Since wędrówka is a feminine noun, its accusative singular form is wędrówkę.

So:

• nominative: wędrówka
• accusative: wędrówkę

Because Polish uses different prepositions with different expressions, and here na is the natural choice.

With wyruszyć, Polish often uses:

• wyruszyć na wycieczkę = set off on a trip
• wyruszyć na spacer = set off for a walk
• wyruszyć na wędrówkę = set off on a hike

You may also see:

• wyruszyć w drogę = set off on the road / begin the journey

So w is possible in some fixed expressions, but with wędrówka, na wędrówkę is the normal wording.

Wyruszyć is perfective.

That matters because perfective verbs in Polish usually present an action as:

• completed
• single
• bounded
• viewed as a whole

So wyruszyliśmy means we set off as a completed event: the moment or act of departure happened.

The imperfective partner is usually wyruszać.

Compare:

• Wyruszyliśmy o szóstej. = We set off at six.
  (a completed departure)
• Wyruszaliśmy bardzo wcześnie. = We used to set off very early / We were setting off very early.
  (focus on process, repetition, or background)

They are related, but not the same.

• iść = to go on foot, to be going
• pójść = to go, to leave, often also on foot
• wyruszyć = to set off, to depart, to start a journey

Wyruszyć sounds more like the beginning of a trip or expedition. It often suggests intention, preparation, or a more purposeful departure.

So:

• Poszliśmy na spacer. = We went for a walk.
• Wyruszyliśmy na wędrówkę. = We set off on a hike.

The second sounds more like the start of an outing or journey.

Yes. Polish word order is fairly flexible, because the grammar is shown partly by endings rather than only by position.

The neutral version is:

• Niedawno wyruszyliśmy na wędrówkę.

But you could also say:

• Wyruszyliśmy niedawno na wędrówkę.
• Na wędrówkę wyruszyliśmy niedawno.

These versions may sound slightly different in focus or emphasis, but the basic meaning stays the same.

Very roughly:

• starting with niedawno highlights when
• starting with na wędrówkę highlights what for

Not exactly.

• spacer = a walk, usually casual, leisurely, often shorter
• wędrówka = a hike, trek, longer wandering or hiking journey

So wędrówka suggests something more substantial than a simple walk. It often sounds more outdoorsy, purposeful, or extended.

Compare:

• iść na spacer = go for a walk
• iść / wyruszyć na wędrówkę = go/set off on a hike

A rough English-friendly guide is:

vih-roo-SHIH-lih-shmih

A few important points:

• wy is roughly like vih (not like English why)
• sz sounds like sh
• y is a Polish vowel that does not exist exactly in English; it is more central and less rounded than ee
• śmy has the shm cluster, which may feel difficult at first

A slower breakdown:

• wy-ru-szy-li-śmy

If pronunciation is your focus, it helps to practice the consonant groups slowly first.

A rough guide is:

ven-DROOF-keh

A few notes:

• w in Polish sounds like English v
• ę is a nasal vowel; before certain consonants, it is often pronounced in a way that sounds close to en or em
• ó sounds like oo
• wkę includes a consonant cluster that may be challenging at first

So in natural speech, wędrówkę may sound approximately like:

• ven-DROOV-keh or ven-DROOF-keh

The exact pronunciation of nasal vowels can vary a bit depending on the sounds around them.

Sometimes, but not always perfectly.

• niedawno = recently / not long ago, referring to a specific event in the recent past
• ostatnio = lately / recently, often over a stretch of time, or in more general conversation

In this sentence, niedawno fits very naturally because it refers to a single completed event: setting off on a hike.

• Niedawno wyruszyliśmy na wędrówkę. = very natural
• Ostatnio wyruszyliśmy na wędrówkę. = possible in some contexts, but less natural if you just mean one recent occasion

So for this exact sentence, niedawno is the better default choice.