Questions & Answers about Proszę nie spać teraz!
Why is spać in its basic dictionary form instead of being conjugated?
When you use proszę to make a polite request, the main action verb that follows it must be in the infinitive (the basic dictionary form, like spać). This is a very common and easy way to give polite commands in Polish because you don't need to change the verb ending!
Doesn't proszę actually mean "I ask"?
Yes! Proszę is literally the "I" form of the verb prosić (to ask or request). So literally, you are saying "I ask not to sleep now." Over time, this just became the standard Polish equivalent for the English word "please."
Where exactly does nie need to go in a sentence like this?
The negative word nie always goes directly in front of the verb it is negating. Because we are negating the action of sleeping, nie sits right before spać.
Could I drop proszę and just say Nie spać teraz!?
You could, but the tone would change completely. Using an infinitive by itself, like Nie spać!, sounds like a strict, impersonal command or a public rule, translating closer to "No sleeping!". Adding proszę makes it a polite and personal request.