Breakdown of Preguntó si podíamos averiguar la verdad.
poder
to be able to / can
la verdad
the truth
preguntar
to ask
si
if
Questions & Answers about Preguntó si podíamos averiguar la verdad.
Why is podíamos in the imperfect tense here?
In reported speech, when the main verb is in the past (preguntó), the reported action takes a step back in time. The original direct question was probably in the present tense: ¿Podemos averiguar la verdad? (Can we find out the truth?). To report this in the past, the present tense podemos shifts to the imperfect podíamos (could).
Why doesn't the word si have an accent mark?
In Spanish, si without a written accent means "if" or "whether", which is exactly what you use to report a yes/no question. You only use the accent mark on sí when it means "yes" or when it refers to oneself.
Why use averiguar instead of encontrar for "to find out"?
Averiguar translates specifically to "to find out", "to discover", or "to investigate" information, like finding out the truth. Encontrar means "to find" a physical object or place, like finding your lost keys.
How do we know it translates to "She asked" if there is no pronoun like ella?
The verb preguntó is the third-person singular preterite, which can mean "he asked", "she asked", or "you (formal) asked". In a real conversation, you would already know who was being talked about from the context. The English translation uses "she" just as one valid interpretation of the unstated subject.