4

Don't overthink it, it's about you getting work done.

I have yet to find a translator software that correctly translates expressions like "overthink" in a way that's actually used in the target language. At least that's the case with Portuguese and Spanish (both of which I'm fluent in).

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  • Maybe "не усложняй"? What's the context, though? Is it about over-engineering a technical system? Is it about thinking to much about whether I am doing it right or not? Something else?
    – Headcrab
    Commented Nov 14, 2017 at 8:14
  • Will you accept Matt's answer?
    – Paul
    Commented Aug 11, 2019 at 17:16

3 Answers 3

12

In this case I'd translate the whole sentence in a different way, rather than choose word for "overthink". For example,

Меньше думай, больше делай --> Think less, do more
Глаза боятся, а руки делают --> The eyes fear but the hands work

Considering "to overthink", I doubt if there is a good bookish word but commonly people say "зацикливаться", i.e. "don't overthink it" --> "не зацикливайся на этом".

There is also a couple of "slanguish / teenager" variants: "не загоняйся" or "не парься" (the latter stands for both "don't think / don't worry").

UPD. OK, for this case "мудрить" seems to fit nice:

Ты не мудри, просто сделай свою работу

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1

Just my five cents, a bit closer to the original phrase:

Не думай больше, чем надо. Суть в том, чтобы ты сделал работу.

with an emphasis on a word "сделал" (Do not think more than necessary. The point is that you get the work done).

Even closer, a bit clumsy, but acceptable (I could say so, but primitive minds could get stuck in an attempt to extract the matter from the sentence):

Не думай больше, чем надо. Вся суть в выполнении работы тобою.

(Do not think more than necessary. The point is in accomplishing of the work by you)

I find the last Matt's variant (не мудри) is the best one.

0

Basically чересчур замороченный is exactly too overthinked- it's just that unlike overthinked, замороченный is acceptable only in colloquial speech.

So, in some cases it's acceptable to use заморачиваться or загоняться (more slang), so one can say something like:

Не заморачивайся слишком уж, тут главное чтобы работа была сделана.

or

Не загоняйся, главное - сделать работу.

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