I would say perhaps 1/2 day morning filtered sun if possible. Maybe repot it up into a larger pot first and place outside and let it get a bit larger before trying to transplant it into the garden. That way you can control the amount of sunlight it gets on hot days since it's still so small. Tease the roots away from the smaller root ball it probably is in now so they can grow outward into the new potting mix.
I'm now thinking yours may be a cypress of some sort. This gold one is a popular seller in grocery stores and nurseries
I started out with that size similar to yours several years back, maybe a foot tall, and I kept it outside protected from full day sun as I kept potting it up to bigger sizes throughout the years.
This is mine now, actually that was taken last year and it's taller and fuller now, it all day full sun with maybe once a week watering.
If you click on the plant name above the photo, you can see the other images for this one.
