In Polish, plural past tense verbs have two forms: the virile (męskoosobowy) for groups including at least one man, and the non-virile (niemęskoosobowy) for everything else.
When a compound subject consists of mixed genders, the verb must resolve to the virile form. Notice how the mixed-gender subjects below trigger virile past tense verbs, which typically end in -li (like przyszli or wyszli).
| My brother and his new partner came to the reception. | Mój brat i jego nowa partnerka przyszli na przyjęcie. |
| Your partner and sister left the reception early. | Twój partner i siostra wyszli wcześnie z przyjęcia. |
This rule also applies to adjectives describing the group. A mixed-gender group takes the virile plural adjective ending (such as nieobecni).
| Anna and Piotr were absent, so they did not participate in the ceremony. | Anna i Piotr byli nieobecni, więc nie uczestniczyli w ceremonii. |
Whether using names or general nouns, the presence of at least one male subject guarantees the virile plural form for all past tense verbs and adjectives.
| My father and mother raised a toast to health. | Mój ojciec i matka wznieśli toast za zdrowie. |
| The actor and the actress came to the reception and raised a toast. | Aktor i aktorka przyszli na przyjęcie i wznieśli toast. |
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