Learn Spanish (Latin America): El primer pretendiente me preguntó si yo comía pan. - The first suitor asked me if I ate bread.

This is an example of past reported speech. The suitor's original question was likely in the present tense: "¿Comes pan?" (Do you eat bread?). When you report a present tense question using a past tense reporting verb (me preguntó), the present tense backshifts to the imperfect tense (comía).

Does si need an accent mark here?

No. In this sentence, si means "if" or "whether" and introduces the indirect yes/no question. It only takes an accent mark (sí) when it means "yes" or when it is used as a reflexive pronoun after a preposition.

Why is the pronoun yo included before comía?

The imperfect verb form comía is exactly the same for yo, él, ella, and usted. Including yo removes any ambiguity, making it absolutely clear that he was asking if you yourself ate bread, rather than if someone else did.

Does pretendiente mean "pretender"?

No, they are false friends. Pretendiente means "suitor" or "candidate" (someone pursuing a romantic relationship or a position). It comes from the verb pretender, which means to intend, expect, or woo, rather than to fake something.