Learn Hardcore Croatian: Obitelj ide iz grada u restoran danas. - The family is going from the city to the restaurant today.

In Croatian, obitelj (family) is a collective noun but grammatically feminine singular, so the verb agrees in the singular: Obitelj ide. In casual speech you’ll sometimes hear plural agreement (Obitelj idu), but standard Croatian prefers the singular.

What gender and case is obitelj here?

It’s feminine nominative singular (subject of the sentence). Adjectives and pronouns agree in feminine singular: moja obitelj, ta obitelj, ona ide.

Why iz grada and not iz grad?

The preposition iz (out of/from inside) requires the genitive. The genitive singular of grad (city) is grada. More examples:

iz kuće (from the house)
iz škole (from school)
iz sobe (out of the room)

Why u restoran and not u restoranu?

With motion into a place, u takes the accusative: u restoran (into the restaurant). For location (being in), u takes the locative: u restoranu (in the restaurant).

Why is it restoran (not restorana) after u?

Because restoran is an inanimate masculine noun. In the accusative, inanimate masculine nouns look like the nominative: restoran. Animate masculine nouns take -a in the accusative: Vidim psa (I see a dog), but Vidim stol (I see a table).

Could I use od or sa instead of iz?

iz
- genitive = from the inside of something: iz grada, iz kuće.
sa/s
- genitive = off a surface or from an open area/event: sa stola (off the table), s trga (from the square), sa koncerta (from a concert). Fixed collocations: sa sela (from the countryside).
od
- genitive = from someone/something as a source, distances, time: od prijatelja (from a friend), 5 km od grada (5 km from the city). Not used for “out of” the city.

For your sentence, iz grada is the natural choice.

Where can I put danas in the sentence?

Common options (all correct):

Obitelj ide iz grada u restoran danas. (neutral)
Danas obitelj ide iz grada u restoran. (emphasis on “today”)
Obitelj danas ide iz grada u restoran. (emphasis on the subject)

Adverbs like danas are flexible; putting them earlier adds emphasis.

Does Croatian have articles like “the” or “a”?

No. Croatian has no articles. Context does the job. Obitelj ide u restoran can mean “the family is going to a/the restaurant,” depending on context.

What tense/aspect is ide? Can it mean “is going” as well as “goes”?

Yes. The present of ići covers both simple present and present progressive: ide = “goes/is going.” For setting off/one-time departure, use a perfective verb: Obitelj odlazi/pođe/krene danas (is leaving/sets off today). For the future: Obitelj će ići sutra (will go tomorrow). For completed past: Obitelj je otišla jučer (went/has gone yesterday).

How would I say “The family is in the restaurant today”?

Use location (locative) with the verb “to be”:

Obitelj je danas u restoranu.

Is obitelj always singular in agreement?

In standard Croatian, yes—treat it as feminine singular: Obitelj je velika. Ona ide. In everyday speech, some speakers use plural verbs/pronouns with collective nouns, but that’s nonstandard.

Pronunciation check: how do I pronounce lj in obitelj?

lj is a single sound /ʎ/, similar to the “lli” in English “million” when said quickly. Don’t pronounce l + j separately. Syllables: o-bi-telj.

Could I say familija instead of obitelj?

Colloquially, familija is understood, but it’s informal and can sound slangy. Obitelj is the standard, neutral word.

Is there any difference between u restoran and using na?

Use u for going into enclosed places like buildings: u restoran, u školu. na is for surfaces, open areas, and events: na stol (onto the table), na plažu (to the beach), na večeru (to dinner), na koncert (to a concert). So you’d say u restoran but na večeru.

How would this change in the plural: “Families are going from the city to the restaurant today”?

Subject plural: Obitelji idu iz grada u restoran danas.
If you mean “to restaurants” (plural destination): … u restorane.