Breakdown of Gli scienziati si interrogavano su come la particella creasse l'oscurità.
come
how
su
on, about
lo scienziato
the scientist
creare
to create
interrogarsi
to question oneself
l'oscurità
the darkness (f)
la particella
the particle
Questions & Answers about Gli scienziati si interrogavano su come la particella creasse l'oscurità.
Why does this sentence use the imperfect subjunctive creasse?
This is an indirect question, which reports a question rather than asking it directly. Verbs of wondering or doubting, like interrogarsi, trigger the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. Because the main verb (si interrogavano) is in a past tense, and the creation of darkness was happening at the same time they were wondering, Italian requires the imperfect subjunctive (creasse) to show that simultaneous past action.
Why is the preposition su placed before come?
The verb interrogarsi (to wonder / to ask oneself) is usually followed by the preposition su (about / on) before introducing the topic. So, si interrogavano su come... literally translates to "they questioned themselves about how...". You will also see this pattern with other verbs of pondering, like discutere su or riflettere su.
Could I use si chiedevano instead of si interrogavano here?
Yes, chiedersi is the most common way to say "to wonder" in Italian and would work perfectly. However, interrogarsi sounds more formal, profound, or academic, which fits perfectly with a sentence about scientists studying a particle. Note that if you use chiedersi, you generally drop the su: Gli scienziati si chiedevano come...
Why is the main verb si interrogavano in the imperfect rather than the passato prossimo?
The imperfect is used here to describe an ongoing state of mind or a continuous process in the past. The scientists "were wondering" over a period of time. If they had suddenly asked themselves the question at one specific, completed moment, you would use the passato prossimo (si sono interrogati), but the imperfect is much more natural for this kind of ongoing academic pondering.
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