Plural past tense (-li / -ły)

Setting the Time in the Past

To specify when an action happened, you will often use the word temu (ago). Unlike in English, temu always comes after the time period, such as miesiąc temu (a month ago) or tydzień temu (a week ago). For events happening during a break, use w wakacje (during the vacation).

Virile (Mixed or All-Male) Groups

In the plural past tense, Polish verbs change depending on who is in the group. Use the virile (or masculine personal) form if the group contains at least one male person (e.g., "my husband and I", "the students", or a mixed group of friends).

For virile groups, the past tense stem ends in a soft -l- followed by these endings:

When addressing a mixed or all-male group formally as "you" (państwo), use the 3rd person plural oni ending (-li).

Non-Virile (All-Female, Children, Objects) Groups

Use the non-virile form when the group does not include any men. This covers all-female groups, children, animals, and inanimate objects.

For non-virile groups, the past tense stem ends in a hard -ł- followed by these endings:

Comparing the Two Forms

Notice how the verb ending immediately tells you whether a man was part of the group or not: