Mahjong glossary

One of the three number suits, running 1–9. The 1 of bamboo is a bird, not a stick.

One of the three suits, 1–9, each marked with the 萬 character.

An American mahjong ritual of passing tiles to other players before play begins.

A run of three consecutive tiles in one suit. You can only claim a chow from the player on your left.

A hand built without claiming any discards. Staying concealed is worth extra.

The tile you place face-up to end your turn. Others may claim it to complete a set or win.

Bonus tiles in Riichi mahjong that add extra value to a winning hand.

One of the three suits, 1–9, shown as patterns of circles.

Three honor tiles: the red, green and white dragons. They form pairs and triplets only.

Hong Kong scoring units. Patterns in your hand earn faan; more faan means a bigger payout.

Bonus tiles in some sets. In American mahjong any flower is interchangeable and can score extra.

A one-suit hand. A full flush is a single suit only; a half flush is one suit plus honor tiles.

Minor points in Riichi scoring, added to han to calculate the final value.

Riichi scoring units, similar in spirit to faan; combined with fu to set the score.

The winds and dragons together. Unlike the number suits, they can't form runs — only pairs or triplets.

American mahjong's wild tile (8 per set). It substitutes for almost any tile in a set.

A set of four identical tiles. When you declare a kong you draw a bonus replacement tile.

A complete hand of four sets and a pair — and the name of the game. Declaring it wins the round.

Any completed set: a pung, kong or chow. A hand is four melds plus a pair.

The National Mah Jongg League, which publishes the yearly card of legal hands for American mahjong.

Two identical tiles — the “eyes” that, with four sets, complete a winning hand.

A set of three identical tiles. You may claim another player's discard to complete one.

The tray that holds and hides your tiles in American mahjong.

A bet/declaration in Japanese mahjong that you're one tile from winning — and the name of the style.

Winning on a tile another player just discarded. The discarder pays the hand.

The prevailing wind of the current round. A triplet of it scores extra faan.

Your own wind for the round. A triplet of it scores extra faan.

Winning on a tile you drew yourself. All opponents pay, so it's worth more.

American nickname for the white dragon; it can stand in as a zero in some hands.

The three numbered families of tiles: dots, bamboo and characters, each 1–9.

Being exactly one tile away from a complete hand — “waiting” to win.

The stacked rows of face-down tiles that players draw from each turn.

Four honor tiles — East, South, West and North. Your own and the round's wind can score extra.

A required scoring pattern in Riichi. You must have at least one yaku to declare a win.