Learn Italian: Quando fa caldo, mangio poco. - When it is hot, I eat little.

In English, we use the verb 'to be' for the weather (it is hot). But in Italian, weather expressions usually use the irregular verb fare (to do or to make). So, fa caldo literally translates to 'it makes heat'.

I am learning the verb fare. Does fa follow the normal rules for verbs ending in -are?

While fa happens to look like a regular he/she/it ending, the verb fare is highly irregular. Forms like the 'I' form (faccio) or the 'they' form (fanno) change the base of the word entirely, so you have to memorize all of its forms!

Where are the words for 'it' and 'I' in this sentence?

Italian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb itself tells you who is acting. fa is the 'it' form of fare, and mangio is the 'I' form of mangiare. Adding the pronouns here isn't necessary and sounds less natural.

I have seen un po' used for 'a little'. Why is it just poco here?

un po' means 'a little bit' (some amount), while poco means 'little' or 'not much'. Since the heat makes the speaker lose their appetite, they are saying they eat 'not much' (poco).