Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Спочатку ми зайдемо в кафе, потім підемо на зустріч. - First we will go into the cafe, then we will go to the meeting.

Зайдемо is the simple future of the perfective verb зайти “to go in/drop in (once, to completion).” It fits a sequence of single, completed actions: first we’ll pop into a café, then we’ll go to the meeting.
Заходимо is present/imperfective (“we are going in,” “we go in” habitually). If you used it here, it would sound like the action is happening right now or regularly, not as the next planned step.

What’s the difference between підемо and йдемо?

Підемо is the simple future of the perfective піти = “we will go (once, set off).”
Йдемо is present/future of the imperfective йти = “we are going / we go.”
In plans and sequences, Ukrainians usually pick піти/підемо to mark a single, subsequent action. You could say потім йдемо in casual speech for “then we’re going,” but підемо is the clean, single-action future.

How would I say it if we’re going by transport?

Use поїдемо (from поїхати) for “we’ll go/drive/ride (by vehicle).”
Examples:

Спочатку ми зайдемо в кафе, потім поїдемо на зустріч.

Why в кафе and not у кафе?

Both в and у mean “in/into.” Ukrainian alternates them mainly for euphony (ease of pronunciation). A common rule of thumb:

After a word ending in a vowel and before a consonant, в usually sounds smoother.
After a consonant or before a vowel, у can be smoother. Here, …зайдемо в кафе flows well. …зайдемо у кафе isn’t wrong; it’s just a bit less euphonic here.

Why в кафе and not до кафе?

в/у + Acc. = “into, inside” a place (goal of motion).
до + Gen. = “to/towards (up to)” a place (not necessarily going inside).
So зайдемо в кафе means “we’ll go into the café.” Зайдемо до кафе would be “we’ll go to the café (to the vicinity),” possibly stopping outside.

Which case is used in в кафе? Why doesn’t кафе change?

With motion into something, в/у takes the accusative. Кафе is an indeclinable neuter noun, so its form doesn’t change in any case: в кафе, у кафе, з кафе.

Why на зустріч? Could it be в/у зустріч?

For attending events, Ukrainian typically uses на + Acc.: на зустріч, на концерт, на лекцію.
В/у is for entering spaces/containers/rooms. A meeting is treated as an event, so на зустріч is the idiomatic choice.

What case is зустріч here, and what’s the form for “at the meeting”?

Direction to an event: на + Acc. → на зустріч.
Location at an event: на + Loc. → на зустрічі (“at the meeting”).

Is на зустріч the same as назустріч?

No.

На зустріч (two words) = “to a meeting” (event).
Назустріч (one word) = “toward/meeting (someone)” or figuratively “to accommodate”: іти назустріч комусь = “to meet someone halfway.”

Is there any article like “a/the” before кафе?

No. Ukrainian has no articles. Context supplies “a/the.” в кафе can mean “into a café” or “into the café,” depending on what’s known.

Can I drop the pronoun ми?

Yes. Ukrainian often omits subject pronouns when the verb ending makes the subject clear:
Спочатку зайдемо в кафе, потім підемо на зустріч.
Including ми can add clarity or emphasis, but it’s not required here.

Do I need the comma before потім?

Yes, you normally separate the two coordinated clauses with a comma:
Спочатку ми зайдемо в кафе, потім підемо на зустріч.
You’ll also often see … , а потім … with the conjunction а added.

Could I say Спочатку… а потім…? Is that more natural?

Yes. А потім (“and then/and after that”) is very common and sounds natural:
Спочатку ми зайдемо в кафе, а потім підемо на зустріч.

What’s the nuance of спочатку? How does it differ from спершу or на початку?

Спочатку = “first, at first, to begin with” in a sequence of actions.
Спершу is a near-synonym for “first/at first,” slightly more colloquial/literary.
На початку = “at the beginning (of something)” and needs a noun: на початку зустрічі = “at the beginning of the meeting.”

What does the prefix за- add in зайти?

With motion verbs, за- often means “to pop in/stop by/enter briefly” or “cross the threshold.” Зайти в кафе suggests “drop into a café (for a short visit).”
Compare: увійти/ввійти focuses on the act of entering, without the “pop in” nuance.

Is there a different verb if we “stop by (by car)”?

Yes: заїхати/заїжджати for “stop by (with a vehicle).”
Example: Спочатку ми заїдемо (до тебе), потім поїдемо на зустріч.

Can I say на зустрічу?

Not for this meaning. The correct directional phrase is на зустріч (Acc.).

На зустрічі (Loc.) = “at the meeting.”
Зустрічу is a different case/form and doesn’t work here after на to mean “to a meeting.”

Could the sentence start without спочатку and still be fine?

Yes, but спочатку… потім… clearly signals the order. You could also say:

Ми спочатку зайдемо в кафе, а потім підемо на зустріч.
Спочатку зайдемо в кафе. Потім підемо на зустріч. (two sentences for extra clarity)

What are the full simple-future paradigms I might hear for these verbs?

Зайти (to drop in/enter): я зайду, ти зайдеш, він/вона зайде, ми зайдемо, ви зайдете, вони зайдуть.
Піти (to go/set off, on foot): я піду, ти підеш, він/вона піде, ми підемо, ви підете, вони підуть.
Use these for single, completed future actions in a sequence.