La questione resta aperta.

Resta is the third-person singular form of restare.

In this sentence, resta means remains / stays:

• la questione = the question / issue / matter
• resta = remains / stays
• aperta = open

So La questione resta aperta means The issue remains open.

Italian often uses the definite article more regularly than English does.

Here, la questione means the issue / the matter.
Using la makes it sound like a specific issue already understood from context.

• la questione = the issue, the matter
• questione by itself would sound less natural here unless used in a special structure or heading

So in a normal sentence, La questione resta aperta is the natural form.

Because aperta agrees with la questione, which is a feminine singular noun.

Agreement in Italian means that adjectives usually change form to match the noun they describe:

• questione = feminine singular
• therefore: aperta = feminine singular form of aperto

Compare:

• il caso resta aperto = the case remains open
• la questione resta aperta = the issue remains open

It is an adjective here.

The structure is:

• subject: La questione
• verb: resta
• adjective: aperta

So literally: The issue remains open.

This is similar to English sentences like:

• The door stays open
• The problem remains unresolved

In Italian, restare can be followed by an adjective describing the state that continues.

Yes. Rimane (from rimanere) is also very natural here.

Both are possible:

• La questione resta aperta
• La questione rimane aperta

Both mean The issue remains open.

Very roughly:

• restare often feels like to stay / remain
• rimanere also means to remain, and in many contexts the two overlap

In this sentence, either works well. The choice is mostly stylistic.

Because restare adds the idea of continuing in the same state.

Compare:

• La questione è aperta = The issue is open
• La questione resta aperta = The issue remains open / stays open

So è simply describes the current state.
Resta emphasizes that the state continues.

Questione is a feminine singular noun.

That is why it takes:

• la (feminine singular article)
• aperta (feminine singular adjective)

Its plural is:

• la questione = the issue
• le questioni = the issues

A learner might notice that many Italian nouns ending in -one are masculine, but questione is feminine, so it is worth memorizing together with its article: la questione.

Not always.

In this sentence, questione is better understood as:

• issue
• matter
• question in the sense of an unresolved matter

It does not usually mean a question someone asks aloud.
For that, Italian normally uses domanda:

• Ho una domanda. = I have a question.

So here, questione means something more like issue / matter / point under discussion.

Yes, but La questione resta aperta is the most neutral and natural order.

Italian word order is often flexible, but the standard order here is:

subject + verb + adjective

You might sometimes see variations for emphasis, such as:

• Resta aperta la questione.

This can sound a bit more formal or literary, with focus on remains open first.

For everyday neutral usage, La questione resta aperta is the safest choice.

Resta is pronounced roughly like REH-sta.

A few pronunciation notes:

• re- sounds like reh, not like English ree
• st is pronounced clearly
• the stress is on the first syllable: RÈ-sta

So: RÈ-sta.

Yes, it sounds fairly neutral to formal, and it is very natural in written Italian, news, discussion, or official contexts.

For example, it could appear in:

• journalism
• academic writing
• political discussion
• legal or administrative contexts

It does not sound strange in speech, but it is slightly more polished than a very casual everyday phrasing.