Breakdown of Spiel ruhig weiter, den Blick gesenkt.
spielen
to play
weiter
further, on (continuing)
ruhig
go ahead / feel free to (reassurance particle)
senken
to lower
der Blick
the gaze
Questions & Answers about Spiel ruhig weiter, den Blick gesenkt.
Why is it den Blick (accusative) here instead of a phrase like mit dem Blick?
This is the Absolute Accusative being taught in this lesson. It is a concise way to describe an accompanying physical state or posture without needing a preposition like mit (with). You simply put the body part in the accusative case (den Blick) and add a participle or adjective (gesenkt) to describe its state.
Does ruhig mean they should play "quietly"?
No, in this sentence ruhig is a modal particle. It does not mean "quietly" (which would be leise). Instead, it is used to give reassurance or encouragement, meaning "go ahead and" or "feel free to" keep playing.
Where does the weiter come from in this sentence?
It is the separable prefix of the verb weiterspielen (to continue playing). Because this is an imperative (command) sentence, the main verb spiel comes first, and the prefix weiter is pushed to the end of its clause.
Why use the past participle gesenkt rather than a conjugated verb?
In an Absolute Accusative phrase, there is no main verb for that specific part of the sentence. Instead, you use a word that acts like an adjective to describe the state of the noun. The past participle gesenkt (from senken, to lower) functions perfectly here to describe the physical state of the gaze.
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