Po pracy mieliśmy spotkać się na rynku, jednak połączenie znów było słabe i każdy wrócił do domu osobno.

Because po in the sense of after takes the locative case.

• praca = work
• pracy = locative singular of praca

So:

• po pracy = after work

This is a very common pattern in Polish:

• po obiedzie = after lunch
• po szkole = after school
• po spotkaniu = after the meeting

So the learner should remember: po often requires the locative when it means after.

Mieliśmy spotkać się literally means something like we had to / we were supposed to meet or we were meant to meet.

It uses the pattern:

• mieć in the past + infinitive

Here:

• mieliśmy = we had / we were supposed to
• spotkać się = meet each other

So the whole phrase suggests a plan, intention, or expectation, not just a simple past event.

Compare:

• Spotkaliśmy się = we met
• Mieliśmy spotkać się = we were supposed to meet / we had planned to meet

In this sentence, the meeting apparently did not happen.

Because spotkać się means to meet each other / to meet up, while spotkać without się usually means to meet someone / come across someone.

Compare:

• Spotkałem Marka. = I met Marek.
• Spotkaliśmy się z Markiem. = We met up with Marek.
• Mieliśmy spotkać się na rynku. = We were supposed to meet up at the market square.

So się is important here because it makes the verb reflexive/reciprocal: the people were going to meet one another.

This is about aspect.

• spotkać się = perfective
• spotykać się = imperfective

Here, the sentence refers to one planned meeting, a single complete event, so Polish uses the perfective infinitive:

• mieliśmy spotkać się = we were supposed to meet

If you used spotykać się, it would sound more like a repeated or ongoing action, for example:

• Mieliśmy spotykać się co tydzień. = We were supposed to meet every week.

So for one specific planned meetup, spotkać się is the natural choice.

Because na rynku means at the market square / in the town square, and na here takes the locative case when it expresses location.

• rynek = market square
• rynku = locative singular

So:

• na rynku = at the market square

This is a fixed and very common expression in Polish towns and cities.

Also, note that rynek often means the main square of a town, not only an economic market in the English sense.

Jednak means however, though, or nevertheless.

It introduces a contrast:

• We were supposed to meet after work in the square,
• however, the connection was weak again,
• so everyone went home separately.

So jednak helps signal that the second part goes against the original plan.

It is slightly more formal or written-sounding than ale, though both can often be translated as but.

Połączenie literally means connection, but in Polish it can refer to several different kinds of connection depending on context, for example:

• a phone connection
• an internet connection
• a transport connection
• a general link between two things

In this sentence, połączenie znów było słabe most naturally suggests something like:

• the phone connection was poor again, or
• the signal/connection was weak again

So the exact type of connection depends on context, but the grammar stays the same.

Because połączenie is a neuter noun, so the past tense and adjective must agree with it.

• połączenie = neuter singular
• było = was, neuter singular past form of być
• słabe = weak, neuter singular adjective

Compare:

• telefon był słaby = the phone was weak/poor
• sieć była słaba = the network was weak
• połączenie było słabe = the connection was weak

Agreement is very important in Polish, so the form changes depending on the gender of the noun.

They both mean again.

• znów
• znowu

In most situations, they are interchangeable. Znów is often felt to be slightly shorter or a little more literary/stylish, but in everyday Polish both are common.

So:

• połączenie znów było słabe
• połączenie znowu było słabe

Both are natural and correct.

Because każdy means each one / everyone, and grammatically it behaves as a singular word in Polish.

So even though it refers to multiple people in meaning, the verb is singular:

• każdy wrócił = everyone went back

This is similar to English in sentences like everyone was there, where everyone is grammatically singular.

If the group includes both men and women, Polish often still uses the masculine singular past form with każdy:

• każdy wrócił

That is the normal default form in this kind of sentence.

Because the verb wrócić often goes with do + genitive when you mean return to a place.

• dom = house/home
• domu = genitive singular
• do domu = to home / homeward

So:

• wrócił do domu = he returned home
• wrócili do domu = they returned home

This is one of the most common Polish expressions. Even when English often just says went home, Polish very naturally says wrócić do domu or iść do domu.

Osobno means separately, individually, or each on their own.

So:

• każdy wrócił do domu osobno = everyone went home separately

It suggests they did not continue together as a group.

Some similar ideas:

• razem = together
• osobno = separately

So this word helps show the result of the failed plan: instead of meeting up, they each went home on their own.

Polish word order is fairly flexible, but the original order is natural and clear.

Original:

• Po pracy mieliśmy spotkać się na rynku, jednak połączenie znów było słabe i każdy wrócił do domu osobno.

You can move parts around for emphasis, for example:

• Mieliśmy spotkać się na rynku po pracy...
• Jednak połączenie było znów słabe...

But the meaning may feel slightly different in focus.

The original sentence sounds natural because it flows like this:

1. time: Po pracy
2. plan: mieliśmy spotkać się na rynku
3. contrast: jednak
4. reason/problem: połączenie znów było słabe
5. result: każdy wrócił do domu osobno

So yes, Polish allows some flexibility, but this version is well-structured and idiomatic.