#19: New use-the machine-without-touching-the-screen sensor

Haha, I made this one rhyme. 😆

センサー
sensor

あたら
 新しいセンサー
It’s a new sensor

• だ・です ending is implied.
• です, which stands for ‘is/am/are’, is the polite ending for a sentence.
• だ, which stands for ‘is/am/are’, is the casual ending for a sentence.

そう  さ
操作できる新しいセンサー
It’s a new sensor that can operate the machine

• できる is the potential (‘can’) form of the verb する, to do.
• Whenever you see a plain/casual/dictionary form of a verb in front of a noun, the verb or verb phrase modifies that noun. In other words, it’s giving more details!
• You can think of it as answering the question: what kind of new sensor?

さわ
触らなくても操作できる新しいセンサー
It’s a new sensor that can operate the machine even if you don’t touch it

• The grammar point, verb て-form + も, means ‘even though/if’ verb.
• When used with the casual negative of a verb like in this sentence, the last い changes to く. (We’ve seen this rule apply in many different places; remember い-adjectives with なる?)
• So, 触らない is the casual negative form of 触る, to touch or feel.

 が  めん
画面に触らなくても操作できる新しいセンサー
New use-the machine-without-touching-the-screen sensor

• The particle に stands for ‘in,’ ‘at,’ ‘on’ or ‘to.’
• If you are asking, “Why に and not を?”
  1. The screen is the goal of the action (you’re putting your hand ‘on’ it).
  2. We’re not thinking of doing anything else beyond touching the screen.
• Your hand or some other part of you moves, so that is what would get marked with を.

* I could translate this more directly as “It’s a new sensor with which you can use the machine even if you don’t touch the screen.” but it’s really long for a headline.