穿小鞋

• Pinyin: chuān xiǎo xié
• Hanzi breakdown: 穿 = to wear; 小 = small; 鞋 = shoe — metaphor for causing hidden, deniable discomfort

Meaning

To make things difficult for someone; to give someone a hard time. Literally 'to make someone wear tight shoes.'

A colloquial expression for covertly making someone's life difficult, often by a person in power against a subordinate. The 'tight shoes' metaphor suggests discomfort that's hard to prove or complain about. Common in workplace contexts.

Examples

1. 他得罪了领导，之后就一直被穿小鞋。 He offended the leader and has been getting a hard time ever since.
2. 新来的主管老给她穿小鞋，处处刁难。 The new supervisor keeps making things difficult for her at every turn.
3. 别怕他穿小鞋，该反映的问题还是要反映。 Don't be afraid of him making things hard for you; report the problems that need reporting.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, interpersonal conflict

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 小心别让他找机会给你穿小鞋。(Be careful not to give him a chance to make things hard for you.)
• 自从那次争吵后，她就开始给我穿小鞋。(Ever since that argument, she's been giving me a hard time.)

Don't Say

• 他穿了一双小鞋 (When literally talking about wearing small shoes, just say 穿了双太小的鞋 — 穿小鞋 is always idiomatic)

Origin & History

Idiom from folk language. Wearing shoes that are too small causes constant hidden discomfort — like subtle workplace harassment that's hard to prove.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal