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
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?