Learn Hardcore German: Wir spielen weiter im Garten. - We continue playing in the garden.

Literally it breaks down as:
• Wir = “We”
• spielen = “play”
• weiter = “further” or “continue(on)”
• im Garten = “in the garden”
So a close translation is “We continue playing in the garden.”

What part of speech is weiter in this sentence, and what does it mean?

Here weiter is an adverb modifying spielen, meaning “to continue” or “keep on.” It tells you that the action of playing is ongoing rather than starting or stopping.

Could weiter be a separable-prefix verb here?

German does have the separable-verb weiterspielen (“to continue playing”), which in a main clause splits as spielen … weiter. In everyday usage, however, weiter in Wir spielen weiter im Garten works just as a regular adverb. The meaning is essentially the same, but you can check a dictionary—if weiter stands alone, it’s adverbial.

Why is the preposition im used instead of ins or in den?

• im = in + dem (dative) for location (“where?”).
• ins = in + das (accusative) for movement into something (“into”).
• in den (accusative) also implies movement into the garden.
Since you’re describing where you’re playing (you’re already in the garden), you need the dative im Garten.

What case is Garten, and why is it dative?

Garten is a masculine noun (der Garten). After in, when expressing location (answering “Wo?”), German uses the dative case. Hence in dem Garten → contracted to im Garten.

Could you also say Wir spielen im Garten weiter? Does changing the word order affect the meaning?

Yes. German allows some flexibility with adverb placement. Both Wir spielen weiter im Garten and Wir spielen im Garten weiter mean “We continue playing in the garden.” Placing weiter right after the verb can slightly stress continuation, while putting it at the end feels more neutral.

Can I replace weiter with noch or weiterhin?

• weiterhin is more formal but equivalent: Wir spielen weiterhin im Garten (“We continue to play in the garden”).
• noch shifts the nuance: Wir spielen noch im Garten translates to “We’re still playing in the garden,” focusing on the fact that the activity hasn’t stopped yet rather than the idea of resuming or continuing.

How is Wir spielen weiter im Garten pronounced?

In the International Phonetic Alphabet:
/viːɐ̯ ˈʃpiːlən ˈvaɪtɐ ɪm ˈɡaʁtən/
Roughly: “veer SHPEE-len VY-ter im GAHR-ten,” with a German “r” (uvular or rolled) in Garten.

Why is Garten capitalized?

Because in German every noun is capitalized, regardless of position. Garten is a noun, so it always begins with a capital letter.