Breakdown of Der Wissenschaftler sagt, die Innovation werde das digitale System optimieren.
sagen
to say
der Wissenschaftler
the scientist
werden
will (future auxiliary)
das System
the system
die Innovation
the innovation
digital
digital
optimieren
to optimize
Questions & Answers about Der Wissenschaftler sagt, die Innovation werde das digitale System optimieren.
Why is it werde and not wird in this sentence?
This sentence uses reported speech (Konjunktiv I). The scientist is making a prediction about the future. To form the future tense in Konjunktiv I, we use the Konjunktiv I form of werden plus the infinitive (optimieren). The third-person singular form is werde. If this were a direct quote, it would use the regular present tense for the future: Die Innovation wird das digitale System optimieren.
Why is there no dass (that) after sagt, and how does it affect word order?
In German reported speech, you can often drop the word dass. When you do this, the reported clause behaves like a regular main clause, so the conjugated verb (werde) takes the second position. If you included dass, the conjugated verb would be pushed to the very end: Der Wissenschaftler sagt, dass die Innovation das digitale System optimieren werde.
Could I use würde instead of werde here?
In standard written German, no. You only substitute Konjunktiv II forms (like würde) into reported speech if the Konjunktiv I form is exactly the same as the regular present tense (indicative). Because the Konjunktiv I form werde looks distinctly different from the regular present tense wird, you must stick with werde.
Just as a refresher, why is it das digitale System and not das digitales System?
System is a neuter noun in the accusative case here, acting as the direct object. Because the adjective comes right after the definite article das, it takes the weak ending -e. You would only use the strong ending -es if there were an indefinite article (ein digitales System) or no article at all.
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