Ми їдемо на південь.

Їдемо is the we form of їхати.

This verb usually means to go / to be going by some means of transport, such as:

• car
• bus
• train
• bike

So Ми їдемо на південь most naturally suggests we are going south in the sense of traveling, not walking.

Because їхати is the infinitive, meaning to go / to travel.

In the sentence, you need a conjugated verb:

• їхати = to go
• їдемо = we are going / we go

The ending -емо shows first person plural: we.

These are different motion verbs, and this is a very common source of confusion.

• їхати = to go by transport, in one direction, or on a specific trip
• йти = to go on foot, in one direction
• їздити = to go by transport repeatedly / habitually / back and forth

So:

• Ми їдемо на південь = we are going south now / on this trip
• Ми йдемо на південь = we are going south on foot
• Ми їздимо на південь = we go south regularly / repeatedly

In this sentence, на means something like toward or to when talking about a direction.

So:

• на південь = southward / to the south
• на північ = northward / to the north
• на схід = eastward / to the east
• на захід = westward / to the west

This is the normal Ukrainian pattern for movement in a direction.

Because after на expressing motion toward a direction, Ukrainian uses the accusative case.

The noun південь is masculine and inanimate. For many masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative looks the same as the nominative.

So:

• nominative: південь
• accusative: південь

That is why you see на південь, not на півдня.

Usually, yes.

Because їхати normally implies movement by transport, a native speaker will usually imagine that the people are traveling somehow rather than walking.

If you want to say we are going south on foot, you would normally say:

• Ми йдемо на південь

That said, in some contexts English go is broader than Ukrainian їхати, so it is useful to keep that transport idea in mind.

Yes, very often.

Ukrainian often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person and number.

So both are possible:

• Ми їдемо на південь = neutral, with we stated explicitly
• Їдемо на південь = perfectly natural if the subject is already understood

Including ми can add clarity, contrast, or emphasis.

No, Ukrainian word order is fairly flexible.

The most neutral order here is:

• Ми їдемо на південь

But you could also say:

• На південь ми їдемо — puts more emphasis on south
• Їдемо ми на південь — can sound contrastive or stylistically marked

So the basic meaning stays the same, but the emphasis changes.

It is present tense.

In many contexts, the present tense in Ukrainian can describe:

• something happening right now
• something already arranged or currently in progress
• a near-future trip, depending on context

So Ми їдемо на південь can mean:

• We are going south
• We’re heading south
• sometimes even We’re leaving for the south

Context tells you which is meant.

Usually it means a general direction: southward or to the south.

It does not necessarily mean a specific place called the South. It simply says the movement is oriented southward.

For a more specific destination, Ukrainian often adds more information, for example:

• Ми їдемо на південь України = We are going to the south of Ukraine
• Ми їдемо в Одесу = We are going to Odesa

So на південь by itself is broad and directional.

The letter ї is pronounced roughly like yi.

So:

• їдемо sounds approximately like YI-de-mo

A few helpful points:

• ї always represents a sound like y + i
• it is not the same as і
• the stress is on the first syllable: Ї́демо

So the whole sentence is approximately:

• My YI-de-mo na PIV-denʹ

with південь stressed on the first syllable.

The final ь is the soft sign.

It does not have its own sound, but it makes the preceding consonant softer. In південь, it softens the final н sound.

So південь ends with a soft n-type sound, not a hard one.

This soft sign is very common in Ukrainian and is important for correct pronunciation.

Yes, that is a very natural English translation.

Depending on context, possible translations include:

• We are going south
• We’re heading south
• We’re traveling south

If the meaning has already been given to the learner, the important thing to notice is how Ukrainian builds it:

• ми = we
• їдемо = are going / are traveling
• на південь = southward / to the south