Breakdown of Jedziemy na północ.
na
on, at / to (motion toward) / for (a meal) / for (waiting for)
jechać
to travel
północ
north
Questions & Answers about Jedziemy na północ.
Why do we use jedziemy here instead of jeździmy?
The verb jedziemy is used for a specific trip happening right now, meaning we are currently driving north. If you wanted to say that you drive north regularly, like every summer, you would use the habitual verb jeździmy.
Why do we use the preposition na instead of do for going somewhere?
In Polish, when you travel towards a compass direction like north, south, east, or west, you always use the preposition na. You use do for most cities or countries, but compass directions always take na.
Does the word północ change its ending here since it is our destination?
The preposition na used with motion requires the accusative case. However, północ is a feminine noun that ends in a consonant. For these types of nouns, the accusative form looks exactly the same as the basic dictionary form, so the word does not change.
I have seen the word północ used to mean midnight. Is this the same word?
Yes, it is the exact same word! In Polish, północ literally translates to half-night, which came to mean both midnight and the direction north. Similarly, the word południe means both noon and south.
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