Learn Hardcore Polish: Kelnerka nalewa wodę do szklanki i nie rozlewa ani kropli. - The waitress pours water into the glass and doesn’t spill a single drop.

It means “not even a drop.” In this pattern, ani works together with the negated verb (nie rozlewa) to intensify the negation: nie … ani X = “not … even X.” You can also front it for emphasis: Ani kropli nie rozlewa. Without negation, ani is used in the correlative pattern ani … ani … (“neither … nor …”).

Why is wodę (not woda) used here?

Wodę is the accusative singular of the feminine noun woda. It’s the direct object of the action nalewa (“pours”), so it takes the accusative: nominative woda → accusative wodę. The ending -ę is the typical feminine accusative singular ending for many nouns.

Why is it do szklanki and not another case?

The preposition do (“to/into, up to”) always takes the genitive. Szklanka (a drinking glass) in the genitive singular is szklanki. With liquids being poured into containers, do is the natural choice: wlać wodę do szklanki, do kubka, do butelki.

Could I say w szklankę instead of do szklanki?

It’s technically possible with w + accusative to mean “into,” but for pouring into containers, do is far more idiomatic. W szklankę can sound odd or imply “toward/at the glass” rather than “into it.” Note also that w szklance (locative) means “in the glass,” not “into the glass.”

Is nalewa a present continuous (“is pouring”) or a simple present (“pours”)?

Polish doesn’t have a separate continuous form. The imperfective present nalewa can mean either “is pouring” (right now) or “pours” (habitually), depending on context. Same with nie rozlewa (“isn’t spilling” / “doesn’t spill”).

What’s the difference between nalewać, wlewać, and lać?

lać: to pour in general; also used for heavy rain (Leje deszcz = “It’s pouring with rain”).
wlewać: to pour into something (focus on movement into a space): wlać olej do silnika (“pour oil into the engine”).
nalewać: to pour/serve a portion into a vessel (very natural with drinks): nalewać wino do kieliszka (“pour wine into a wineglass”). Here, nalewa wodę do szklanki is the most natural for serving a drink.

What’s the difference between rozlewać and wylewać?

rozlewać: to spill (usually accidentally or unintentionally), or to spread out (a liquid).
wylewać: to pour out/throw away (deliberately, to get rid of).
So “not spill a drop” is naturally nie rozlewa ani kropli, not nie wylewa.

Why is kropli in the genitive singular?

After verbal negation, Polish very often uses the genitive for the affected object (the “genitive of negation”), and the ani pattern reinforces that. Base form is kropla (“drop”), genitive singular kropli. You can also hear the reinforced versions: ani jednej kropli (“not even a single drop”).

How do I know whether it’s “the glass” or “a glass”? There are no articles.

Polish has no articles. Szklanki can be “the glass” or “a glass,” depending on context. If you need to specify, use demonstratives or other determiners:

do tej szklanki = “into this glass”
do tamtej szklanki = “into that glass”
do jakiejś szklanki = “into some glass”

Can the word order change?

Yes, Polish word order is flexible for emphasis:

Neutral: Kelnerka nalewa wodę do szklanki…
Emphasizing destination: Do szklanki kelnerka nalewa wodę…
Emphasizing what’s poured: Wodę kelnerka nalewa do szklanki… The meaning stays, but focus changes. The neutral SVO order sounds most straightforward.

How would this sentence look in the past and in the future?

Past (completed action, perfective): Kelnerka nalała wodę do szklanki i nie rozlała ani kropli.
Future (completed result, perfective): Kelnerka naleje wodę do szklanki i nie rozleje ani kropli.
Future (process, imperfective): Kelnerka będzie nalewać wodę do szklanki i nie będzie rozlewać ani kropli.
With a male subject (kelner), past forms change: nalał / rozlał.

Does the verb show the subject’s gender?

Not in the present: Kelnerka nalewa / Kelner nalewa are identical. In the past (and in certain participles), gender shows:

Feminine: nalała, rozlała
Masculine: nalał, rozlał

Any idiomatic alternatives to nie rozlewa ani kropli?

Nie uroni ani kropli = “doesn’t let a single drop fall” (also common with tears: nie uroni ani kropli łzy).
Ani kropli nie rozchlapie (colloquial) = “won’t splash even a drop.” All convey great care/precision.

Pronunciation tips for tricky bits like szklanki and wodę?

sz = English “sh”; rz (in rozlewa) ≈ “zh”; ł = English “w”; w = English “v.”
szklanki ≈ “sh-KLAN-kee” (cluster “szkl” = “shkl”).
wodę ≈ “VO-deh” (word-final ę is often just a lightly nasalized “e”).
i is pronounced “ee”: i nie ≈ “ee nye.”

Can I say ani kropli wody or use nawet/żadnej?

Yes:

Nie rozlewa ani kropli wody = “not even a drop of water.”
Nie rozlewa nawet kropli = “doesn’t spill even a drop.”
Nie rozlewa żadnej kropli = “doesn’t spill any drop.”
All are correct; ani and nawet sound especially emphatic.