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Questions & Answers about Herbata, proszę.
Why is it Herbata here instead of the object form herbatę?
Because of the comma, Herbata acts as a standalone word here, just naming the drink, and proszę acts as a polite tag meaning 'please'. If you combined them into a full sentence where 'I ask for tea', you would use the object form (accusative case): Proszę herbatę. Both are very common ways to order!
What is the literal meaning of proszę?
While it translates to 'please' in this context, proszę is actually a verb. It is the 'I' form of the verb prosić (to ask, to request). So literally, you are saying 'Tea, I request.'
Is it polite enough to just say the noun and proszę when ordering in a cafe?
Yes, absolutely! While you might also hear people say Poproszę herbatę (I will ask for a tea), simply naming the item and adding proszę is a very natural, polite, and completely standard way to order in Poland.