Learn Hardcore Chinese: tiānqì hěn rè, wǒmen duō hē shuǐ ba. - The weather is hot; let's drink more water.

In Chinese, adjectives can serve as predicates without 是. You say 天气很热 (literally “weather very hot”). Using 是 before a predicative adjective is generally ungrammatical or sounds unnatural in this structure. Reserve 是 for equational sentences like 今天天气是晴天 (“Today’s weather is sunny”).

Does 很 always mean “very” here? Is it really that strong?

Not necessarily. In adjectival predicate sentences, 很 often works as a neutral “linker” that smooths the sentence and avoids a bare adjective. So 天气很热 usually means “It’s hot,” not emphatically “very hot.” If you want stronger emphasis, use 非常, 真, 太…了, or 好 (colloquial):

天气非常热 = very hot
太热了！ = too hot!
真热啊！/ 好热啊！ = so hot!

Can I drop 很 and just say 天气热?

Sometimes, but it changes the feel:

天气很热 = neutral description.
天气热 can sound terse or contrastive (“the weather is hot (as opposed to something else)”), and is common in headlines or as a quick answer. In everyday neutral statements, 很 is preferred.

What exactly does 吧 do in 我们多喝水吧?

Sentence-final 吧 softens the tone and makes it a suggestion or proposal, roughly “let’s.” Without 吧, 我们多喝水 sounds more like a directive, plan, or instruction. With 吧, it’s inviting and polite: “Let’s drink more water.”

Can I omit 吧?

Yes, but the tone shifts:

我们多喝水吧 = “Let’s drink more water” (suggestion).
我们多喝水 = “We will/should drink more water” (statement or instruction; firmer). Use 吧 when you want a gentle, collaborative suggestion.

How does 多 work here? Why is it before the verb?

Here 多 is an adverb meaning “more,” modifying the action: 多 + 喝 + 水 = “drink more water.” It means “increase the amount/frequency relative to a baseline (because it’s hot).”

Is 喝多水 correct?

No. Use:

多喝水 = drink more water (do the action more).
喝很多水 = drink a lot of water (large quantity, not necessarily “more than usual”).
喝多了 = drank too much (usually alcohol or unspecified).
水喝多了 = drank too much water.
So the adverbial 多 goes before the verb in “do more” advice: 多喝水.

Why is there no measure word with 水? When do I need one?

Uncountable nouns like 水 can appear bare when speaking generally: 喝水. Use a measure when specifying amount:

喝一点(儿)水 = drink a little water
喝一杯水 = drink a glass of water
喝一瓶水 = drink a bottle of water
多喝点(儿)水 is a very natural tweak to the sentence.

Could I say 我们应该多喝水 instead? What’s the difference?

Yes.

我们应该多喝水 = “We should drink more water” (expresses obligation/advice).
我们多喝水吧 = “Let’s drink more water” (polite proposal).
Other options: 我们要多喝水 (we ought to/have to), 我们还是多喝点水吧 (we’d better…).

Is 我们 inclusive (“you and I”)? How about 咱们?

我们 can be inclusive or exclusive depending on context. Here it’s naturally inclusive. 咱们 is explicitly inclusive (“we, including you”) and sounds colloquial in Mainland speech: 咱们多喝水吧.

Could I drop 天气 and just say 很热，我们多喝水吧?

Yes. Chinese often omits obvious subjects. 很热 by itself means “It’s hot.” You can also say 今天很热 (“It’s hot today”) or 外面很热 (“It’s hot outside”).

Pronunciation tips for the sentence?

天气 tiānqì (1st, 4th)
很热 hěn rè (3rd, 4th). The 3rd tone in 很 is usually a “half-3rd” before another syllable.
我们 wǒmen (3rd + neutral; men is neutral).
多喝水吧 duō hē shuǐ ba (1st, 1st, 3rd, neutral).
吧 is neutral tone; keep it light.

Is there a more natural everyday tweak?

Adding a small-amount marker sounds very natural: 天气很热，我们多喝点(儿)水吧。
Other natural variants:

太热了，多喝点水吧。
今天天气很热，我们多喝些水吧。

Can I say 吃水 for “drink water”?

No. For consuming liquids, use 喝. 吃水 exists but means “to take in water” (e.g., a boat leaking) or “draft” (of a ship), not “drink water.” So stick with 喝水.

What’s the difference between 热 and 暖和?

热 = hot (often uncomfortably).
暖和 = warm/pleasantly warm.
So 天气很热 = it’s hot; 天气很暖和 = it’s nice and warm.