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Quando faz frio, bebo um chá.

Quando faz frio, bebo um chá.
When it is cold, I drink a tea.
From Lesson 58:When one thing happens: quando-clauses·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Quando faz frio, bebo um chá.

Why does the sentence use faz instead of a word for 'is'?
When talking about the weather, Portuguese uses the verb fazer (to make or to do) rather than the verb to be. Instead of 'it is cold', you literally say 'it makes cold' (faz frio).
Why are there no words for 'it' or 'I' in this sentence?
Portuguese often leaves out subject pronouns like eu (I). The verb ending already tells you who is doing the action: bebo always means 'I drink', and faz is used on its own as 'it makes' for weather.
Where does the word bebo come from?
It comes from the verb beber (to drink). In the present tense, you remove the -er ending and add -o to talk about yourself. So beber becomes bebo (I drink).
Do I always have to say um before chá?
In this sentence, saying um chá means you are having 'a tea' (like a single cup of tea). You can also just say bebo chá (I drink tea) if you mean tea in general. Both are perfectly natural for a Portuguese speaker.

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