W zimie wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem.

Because the preposition w often requires the locative case when it means in and refers to location or time.

• dictionary form: zima = winter
• locative singular: zimie

So:

• w zimie = in winter

This is the same kind of pattern as:

• w domu = in the house
• w Polsce = in Poland
• w lecie = in summer

Very close, yes. Both can mean in winter.

• w zimie = literally in winter
• zimą = during winter / in winter

For a learner, both are useful and natural.
In everyday Polish, zimą is extremely common and often sounds a bit more compact and natural.

So these are both fine:

• W zimie wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem.
• Zimą wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem.

Because wolę takes a direct object, and that object has to be in the accusative case.

The basic form is:

• ciepła herbata = warm tea

But after wolę (I prefer), it becomes accusative:

• ciepłą herbatę

Breakdown:

• ciepła → ciepłą
• herbata → herbatę

This happens because herbata is a feminine singular noun.

Compare:

• Lubię kawę. = I like coffee.
• Piję zimną wodę. = I drink cold water.
• Wolę ciepłą herbatę. = I prefer warm tea.

Because the preposition z meaning with requires the instrumental case.

• basic form: miód = honey
• instrumental form: miodem

So:

• z miodem = with honey

This is a very common pattern:

• z cukrem = with sugar
• z mlekiem = with milk
• z cytryną = with lemon

Be careful: z can mean different things in Polish, and the case depends on the meaning. Here it means with, so it takes instrumental.

Wolę is the 1st person singular form of the verb woleć, which means to prefer.

So:

• woleć = to prefer
• wolę = I prefer

A few forms:

• wolę = I prefer
• wolisz = you prefer
• woli = he/she/it prefers
• wolimy = we prefer
• wolicie = you plural prefer
• wolą = they prefer

In the sentence:

• W zimie wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem.
• In winter, I prefer warm tea with honey.

Because Polish, like English, often uses the present tense for general habits, preferences, and repeated situations.

So wolę does not mean only right now I prefer. It can also mean:

• generally I prefer
• as a habit, I prefer
• when winter comes, I prefer

This is completely normal.

Compare:

• Latem piję więcej wody. = In summer I drink more water.
• Wieczorem czytam książki. = In the evening I read books.
• W zimie wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem. = In winter I prefer warm tea with honey.

Yes. Polish word order is more flexible than English word order.

The original sentence:

• W zimie wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem.

is natural and neutral.

You could also say:

• Wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem w zimie.
• Ciepłą herbatę z miodem wolę w zimie.

These versions are grammatically possible, but they may shift the emphasis slightly.

Very roughly:

• W zimie first = sets the time frame first
• Wolę first = focuses a bit more on the preference itself
• Ciepłą herbatę z miodem first = emphasizes what is preferred

For learners, the original order is a very good default.

No. In Polish, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• wolę already means I prefer

So:

• W zimie wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem. = natural
• Ja wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem. = also possible, but more emphatic

Using ja often adds contrast, for example:

• Ja wolę herbatę, a on woli kawę.
• I prefer tea, and he prefers coffee.

Because Polish often uses the singular for an uncountable or general substance/item in the same way English does.

Here ciepłą herbatę means warm tea in a general sense, not necessarily one specific cup only. It is the normal way to express the idea.

Compare:

• Lubię kawę. = I like coffee.
• Piję herbatę. = I drink tea.
• Wolę ciepłą herbatę. = I prefer warm tea.

If you made it plural, it would usually suggest different kinds or multiple servings in a more specific way.

These are good words to notice because they contain sounds that can be tricky for English speakers.

ciepłą

• roughly: CHYE-pwong
• ci before e sounds a bit like a soft ch sound
• ą at the end is a nasal vowel; before ł, it often sounds close to on/om

miodem

• roughly: MYO-dem
• io here sounds like yo
• stress is on the second-to-last syllable: MIO-dem

Polish stress is usually on the penultimate syllable, so in the full sentence the stress pattern is straightforward:

• W ZI-mie WO-lę CIE-płą her-BA-tę z MIO-dem

Usually it means tea with honey in the normal practical sense: tea served/prepared with honey. It does not have to specify exactly whether the honey is already stirred in or simply added as part of the drink.

If you wanted to be more explicit, you could say things like:

• herbata posłodzona miodem = tea sweetened with honey
• herbata z dodatkiem miodu = tea with added honey

But in everyday Polish, herbata z miodem is perfectly normal.

Because in Polish, names of seasons are normally written with lowercase letters.

So:

• zima = winter
• wiosna = spring
• lato = summer
• jesień = autumn

That is different from English in some contexts where learners may be unsure, but in Polish the lowercase form is standard unless the word is part of a title or a proper name.

A very common alternative is:

• Zimą wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem.

This version is short, smooth, and very natural in everyday Polish.

So as a learner, you can think of both as correct:

• W zimie wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem.
• Zimą wolę ciepłą herbatę z miodem.

If you want a simple everyday default, Zimą... is an excellent choice.