Si hace demasiado sol, mi padre abre el toldo antes de comer.

Because Spanish often uses hacer in weather expressions.

Common examples:

• hace sol = it’s sunny
• hace calor = it’s hot
• hace frío = it’s cold
• hace viento = it’s windy

So si hace demasiado sol is the natural way to say if it’s too sunny / if there’s too much sun.

In the fixed weather expression hacer sol, Spanish normally uses sol without an article.

Compare:

• Hace sol. = It’s sunny.
• El sol es muy fuerte hoy. = The sun is very strong today.

So in this sentence, sol is part of the weather expression, not just the noun the sun by itself.

Here demasiado means too much.

Because it comes before a noun (sol), it works like an adjective:

• mucho sol = a lot of sun
• demasiado sol = too much sun

So si hace demasiado sol means the sun is excessive, not just present.

Abre is the third person singular present tense of abrir.

It matches mi padre:

• yo abro
• tú abres
• él/ella/usted abre

So mi padre abre el toldo = my father opens the awning.

Because the sentence describes a habitual or general situation:

• Whenever it’s too sunny, my father opens the awning.

Spanish commonly uses the present tense in both parts of a sentence like this when talking about routines, habits, or general truths.

Also important: after si meaning if, Spanish does not use the future tense in the si clause for real future situations.

For example:

• Si hace demasiado sol mañana, mi padre abrirá el toldo.

Not:

• Si hará demasiado sol... ❌

Because si without an accent means if.

Compare:

• si = if
• sí = yes

So here it must be si because this is a conditional sentence.

A toldo is usually an awning or sunshade, especially the kind attached to a building, balcony, terrace, or shop front.

In Spain, this is a very common household item, especially in sunny places.

It is not usually:

• cortina = curtain
• paraguas = umbrella
• sombrilla = sun umbrella/parasol

Spanish often uses the definite article (el, la, los, las) when the object is obvious from the context.

So abre el toldo sounds natural if everyone knows which awning is meant, for example the one at the house or terrace.

You could say su toldo, but el toldo is often more natural in everyday Spanish when the possession is already clear.

Because after antes de, Spanish uses an infinitive when no new subject is introduced.

So:

• antes de comer = before eating / before lunch

This is the normal pattern:

• antes de salir
• antes de dormir
• antes de estudiar

If there is a different subject, Spanish usually uses antes de que + subjunctive:

• antes de que llegue mi padre

Literally, it means to eat.

But in Spain, comer often refers specifically to the main midday meal, so antes de comer can very naturally mean before lunch depending on context.

That is a cultural usage learners often notice in Peninsular Spanish.

Because the sentence begins with a conditional clause:

• Si hace demasiado sol, ...

In Spanish, it is normal and recommended to put a comma between an introductory si clause and the main clause.

So:

• Si hace demasiado sol, mi padre abre el toldo.

This helps separate the condition from the main action.

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• mucho sol = a lot of sun
• demasiado sol = too much sun

So demasiado suggests that the sun is excessive enough to make your father open the awning. It gives a clearer reason for the action.