Questions & Answers about Ми їдемо на схід.
What does їдемо mean here, and why isn’t it йдемо?
Їдемо is the 1st person plural form of їхати, meaning to go by vehicle or to travel/ride.
So Ми їдемо на схід means We are going east in the sense of traveling, driving, riding, taking a train, etc.
By contrast, йдемо comes from йти, which means to go on foot.
So:
- Ми їдемо на схід = We are going east (by transport)
- Ми йдемо на схід = We are walking east
This is a very common distinction in Ukrainian: the verb depends on how you are going.
Why is Ми included? Could Ukrainian leave it out?
Yes. Ukrainian often omits subject pronouns when they are already clear from the verb ending.
- Їдемо на схід already means We are going east
- Ми їдемо на схід adds we for emphasis, contrast, or clarity
The ending -емо in їдемо already shows that the subject is we.
So both are possible:
- Їдемо на схід. = We’re going east.
- Ми їдемо на схід. = We are going east. / We’re the ones going east.