Why, in french, do you say "Ma famille va au restaurant" instead of "Ma famille vont au restaurant"?

"Ma famille" is singular -- so you need the singular verb, "va."

In French, the verb used with a collective noun like "ma famille" (my family) is conjugated in the third person singular form. This is because even though "ma famille" refers to multiple individuals, it is treated as a single entity or unit. Therefore, you say "Ma famille va au restaurant" instead of "Ma famille vont au restaurant" to agree with the third person singular subject.

In French, the verb form used with the subject "ma famille" is "va" instead of "vont" because "ma famille" is considered a singular noun phrase. This rule applies to collective nouns and other singular entities that refer to a group of individuals.

To understand this, it's helpful to know that in French, the verb must agree in both number and gender with the subject. In this case, "ma famille" is a singular noun phrase, even though it refers to multiple individuals within the family. Therefore, the verb "aller" (to go) is conjugated in the third-person singular form, which is "va."

If you were referring to a plural subject, such as "mes parents" (my parents), you would use the plural form of the verb, "vont," as "mes parents vont au restaurant" (my parents are going to the restaurant).

So, to summarize, in French, the verb form depends on the number and gender of the subject, and in the case of "ma famille," it is considered singular, which is why we use "va" instead of "vont" in the sentence "Ma famille va au restaurant" (My family is going to the restaurant).