Breakdown of Ich habe den Überblick über die Preise verloren.
ich
I
haben
to have
über
about (a topic)
der Preis
the price
den Überblick verlieren
to lose track
Questions & Answers about Ich habe den Überblick über die Preise verloren.
What is the core noun-verb phrase here, and what case does its preposition take?
The construction (Nomen-Verb-Verbindung) is den Überblick über etwas verlieren. The noun der Überblick dictates the preposition über, which requires the accusative case here (hence die Preise). Literally, it translates to "losing the overview over something."
If this means "to lose track," how do I say "to keep track" using this same structure?
You just swap out the support verb! To "keep track of" is den Überblick über etwas behalten. Similarly, you can say you are "getting an overview" or "getting the gist" with einen Überblick über etwas bekommen.
Why does the German sentence use Überblick (overview) instead of a direct translation for "track"?
German doesn't use a physical track or trail metaphor for this mental concept. Instead, it relies on a visual metaphor: having an "overview" (der Überblick) of a situation. When you lose that visual command of the details, you have "lost track."
Could I put über die Preise at the very end of the sentence, after verloren?
In standard written German, no. The past participle (verloren) must go at the very end of the clause. This creates the classic sentence bracket (Satzklammer) with the helper verb (habe) in position 2, enclosing the objects (den Überblick über die Preise). Putting prepositional phrases after the final verb is mostly restricted to casual, spoken afterthoughts.
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