Breakdown of Mein Puls rast immer, wenn ich im Begriff bin, heimlich auszugehen.
ich
I
sein
to be
immer
always
mein
my
im
in the (used with months) / in the (contraction of in + dem)
ausgehen
to go out
wenn
if / when (conditional, not a question word)
zu
to (infinitive marker)
heimlich
secret / secretly
der Begriff
the term
der Puls
the pulse
rasen
to race
Questions & Answers about Mein Puls rast immer, wenn ich im Begriff bin, heimlich auszugehen.
How does im Begriff sein work in this sentence?
This phrase means to be on the verge of or to be about to do something. It requires an infinitive clause with zu, which is heimlich auszugehen in this sentence. Notice that German comma rules require you to separate this infinitive clause from the rest of the sentence.
Why does bin come right before the comma instead of at the very end of the sentence?
The word wenn (when/whenever) is a subordinating conjunction, which kicks the conjugated verb bin to the end of its own clause. The final part, heimlich auszugehen, is a separate infinitive clause that attaches after the wenn clause is completed.
Why is the word zu squeezed inside auszugehen?
The verb ausgehen (to go out) is a separable verb. When you form a zu infinitive with a separable verb, the zu gets sandwiched between the separable prefix (aus) and the main verb (gehen), combining into a single word.
I know rasen as speeding in a car. Is it commonly used for a heartbeat like this?
Absolutely. Rasen means to move at high speed or to race. It is the standard verb to use when your heart or pulse is beating very fast. You might also see it used for time flying by, as in die Zeit rast.
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