穿小鞋

chuānxiǎoxié

phrase HSK 7 #54,118

Meanings

1 to have one's life made difficult by someone in authority
2 to be given a hard time
3 to be secretly retaliated against

Characters

to wear; to put on

Examples

他得罪了领导，被穿了小鞋。

Tā dézuì le lǐngdǎo, bèi chuān le xiǎoxié.

He offended his boss and was given a hard time.

小心别被人穿小鞋。

Xiǎoxīn bié bèi rén chuān xiǎoxié.

Be careful not to have someone make life difficult for you.

她怀疑上司在给她穿小鞋。

Tā huáiyí shàngsī zài gěi tā chuān xiǎoxié.

She suspected her boss was secretly retaliating against her.

Tips

history

The metaphor comes from literally wearing shoes that are too small — uncomfortable and restricting. It describes a superior using their authority to make things subtly difficult for a subordinate, often as petty revenge.

grammar

Usually used in passive constructions: 被穿小鞋 or 给某人穿小鞋.

Stroke Order

穿 chuān

小 xiǎo

鞋 xié