破防 pò fáng
When something gets to you.
The short answer
OnlineNow commonChecked November 2026
Pofang means “to break the defense”: something touches you so much that you cannot stay calm. It can mean you are moved to tears, or that you are hurt or upset.
In a chat
- 亮亮 Liangliang
昨天看了一个视频，看完我就破防了。
I watched a video yesterday, and it got to me.
- 里昂 Leon
什么视频？
What video?
- 亮亮 Liangliang
一个老爷爷学会用手机，就为了给孙子发语音。
An old man who learned to use a smartphone just to send voice messages to his grandson.
- 里昂 Leon
别说了，我也要破防了。
Stop, I'm going to cry too.
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How to reply
我也破防了。
That got to me too.
抱抱，别难过。
Hugs. Don't be sad.
When not to use it
- 破防 can also be a taunt. 他破防了 can mean “he lost his cool”, so watch the tone when you say it about someone else.
- In formal writing, say 很感动 (very moved) or 很难过 (very sad).
What it means
In a game, a character has a defense value. Enough attacks break it, and the character starts to take damage. In slang, the defense is your calm: a sad story, a kind message or a cruel comment gets through, and you feel it.
Most often it means you are moved, close to tears. It can also mean you are hurt or angry.
How people use it
It is a verb, usually with 了: 我破防了 (“it got to me”), 看哭了，彻底破防 (“I cried, my defenses are gone”). 破防瞬间 is “the moment it got to me”.
In arguments online, 你破防了 is a taunt: “you're upset now”. The same word can comfort or mock.
Where it comes from
破防 started as a gaming term. A 2022 article on 36kr explains it as the moment when a defense breaks after many attacks, and notes that several 2021 word lists included it.
One of those lists is from the newspaper 语言文字周报, which put 破防 third in its ten top internet expressions of 2021. Its note says that people now use it for the strong feeling when a moving text or picture breaks through their emotional defenses.
In use
2 examples看到妈妈的留言，我一下子就破防了。
When I saw my mom's message, I broke down at once.
他被网友说了几句，就破防了。
A few comments from strangers online, and he lost his cool.
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.