Nie rozlewaj herbaty, proszę.

Please don’t spill the tea.

Breakdown of Nie rozlewaj herbaty, proszę.

• herbata: the tea
• proszę: please
• nie: not
• rozlewać: to spill

Questions & Answers about Nie rozlewaj herbaty, proszę.

Is this sentence informal or formal?

It’s informal, addressed to one person you’re on a first‑name basis with (the implicit subject is ty). For a polite/formal request to a stranger or service worker, use:

• Niech pan/pani nie rozlewa herbaty, proszę.
• or: Proszę nie rozlewać herbaty.

Why is it herbaty and not herbatę?

Because of the “genitive of negation.” A direct object that would be in the accusative in an affirmative sentence often switches to genitive under negation.

• Affirmative: (Nie) rozlej/rozlewaj herbatę. (accusative)
• Negative: Nie rozlewaj herbaty. (genitive)

Here, herbata (tea) → herbaty in the genitive singular.

What’s the difference between Nie rozlewaj and Nie rozlej?

Aspect:

• Nie rozlewaj uses the imperfective verb rozlewać. It blocks the ongoing/activity of spilling or spilling in general (e.g., while someone is handling a cup).
• Nie rozlej uses the perfective rozlać. It blocks a single, completed result: “Don’t end up spilling (this once).”

Both are correct; Nie rozlewaj is the go‑to warning while someone is pouring/handling a drink.

How is the imperative formed here?

From the imperfective rozlewać you get the 2nd‑person singular imperative with -aj: rozlewaj! Add nie for the negative: Nie rozlewaj! The perfective partner rozlać forms rozlej! → Nie rozlej!

Would wylewać be more natural if I mean “pour out” on purpose?

Yes. Subtle difference:

• rozlewać/rozlać = to spill (typically accidental or sloppy)
• wylewać/wylać = to pour out (deliberately) So “Don’t pour out the tea” is Nie wylewaj herbaty.

Do I need proszę? Where does it go and do I need a comma?

Proszę is optional; it softens the command (like “please”). It can go at the start or end:

• Nie rozlewaj herbaty, proszę.
• Proszę, nie rozlewaj herbaty. In writing, set proszę off with a comma.

How would I say this to more than one person?

Use the plural imperative:

• Informal plural: Nie rozlewajcie herbaty, proszę.
• Formal plural: Niech państwo nie rozlewają herbaty, proszę. Neutral/formal instruction: Proszę nie rozlewać herbaty.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

• Nie ≈ “nyeh” (soft n, like “ny” in canyon).
• rozlewaj ≈ “roz-LE-vai” (rolled r; w sounds like English v; aj like “eye”; stress on LE).
• herbaty ≈ “her-BA-ty” (stress on BA; many speakers pronounce initial h like the ch in “loch”).
• proszę ≈ “PRO-sheh” (final ę is mostly just “e” in everyday speech; sz = English “sh”).
  In Polish, stress is almost always on the penultimate syllable.

Why is nie separate from the verb?

With verbs, nie is written separately: nie rozlewaj. With many adjectives and adverbs, nie is written together (e.g., niedobry, nisko vs nie nisko in special cases), but with verbs it’s always separate.

Are there articles like “the” or “a” here?

Polish has no articles. herbaty can mean “the tea,” “some tea,” or “any tea” depending on context. If you need to specify, you can add a demonstrative: tej herbaty (“that tea”).

Can I replace “the tea” with a pronoun?

Yes: Nie rozlewaj jej, proszę.
Here jej is the genitive (and also accusative) form of the feminine pronoun, matching herbata.

What if I want to say “The tea spilled (itself)”?

Use the reflexive/intransitive form:

• Herbata się rozlała. (“The tea spilled.”)
  No object, and the verb agrees with the feminine noun herbata.

Is there a signage/instruction style version?

Yes, Polish often uses the infinitive for general rules:

• Nie rozlewać herbaty.
• Proszę nie rozlewać herbaty.

Does this sentence have the English idiom “spill the tea” (gossip)?

No. Nie rozlewaj herbaty is purely literal (don’t spill the beverage). For the idiom “spill the tea” (share gossip), you’d say something like opowiedz, co się stało, powiedz prawdę, or sypnij plotką (slangy), depending on tone.

Is the comma before proszę mandatory?

Yes, when proszę functions as a parenthetical “please,” it should be set off with a comma: Nie rozlewaj herbaty, proszę.