键盘侠 jiàn pán xiá
Brave in the comments, quiet in real life.
The short answer
CasualNow commonChecked November 2026
Jianpanxia means “keyboard hero”: someone who attacks and judges people in online comments, but does nothing in real life. It is the Chinese word for a keyboard warrior.
In a chat
- 琦琦 Qiqi
我发了一张自拍，有人在下面骂我。
I posted a selfie, and someone insulted me in the comments.
- 灯灯 Dengdeng
别理他，就是个键盘侠。
Ignore him. He's just a keyboard warrior.
- 琦琦 Qiqi
他还教育我该怎么生活。
He even lectured me on how to live.
- 灯灯 Dengdeng
键盘侠都这样，在网上什么都懂。
Keyboard warriors are all like that. Online, they know everything.
In the Dengdeng app, Dengdeng and his friends text you in Chinese every day, at your level.
How to reply
别理键盘侠。
Ignore keyboard warriors.
拉黑就好了。
Just block him.
When not to use it
- Do not call a person who disagrees with you politely a 键盘侠. The word is for people who attack others.
- It is an insult. Use it about strangers online, not about a friend.
What it means
A 侠 is the hero of martial-arts stories, who fights for justice. A 键盘侠 fights only with a keyboard: they judge strangers, give orders and attack people in comments, but they take no risk and do nothing offline.
The word mocks the gap between the brave words and the lack of action.
How people use it
It is a noun. People use it to wave away harsh comments: 别理他，他就是个键盘侠. 别当键盘侠 means “don't be a keyboard warrior”.
It also works for people who give strong opinions about things they know little about.
Where it comes from
The English phrase “keyboard warrior” describes the same kind of person. The English Wikipedia article on the phrase has a section on Chinese, which says that 键盘侠 refers to people who make abusive or aggressive posts without showing who they are.
In use
2 examples网上的键盘侠什么都敢说。
Keyboard warriors online will say anything.
不要当键盘侠，说话前想一想。
Don't be a keyboard warrior. Think before you speak.
The characters
Explore individuallyIndividual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of the whole word.
Sources
This guide is original Dengdeng editorial content, offered under CC BY-SA 4.0. The linked dictionary entries adapt CC-CEDICT under the same license.