Riichi Mahjong Yaku List — All Hands, with Pictures

01Why yaku matter

In Riichi you need at least one yaku — a named scoring pattern — for a complete hand to be a legal win. This page lists the ones worth learning, grouped by value (in han).

02The everyday 1-han yaku

You'll make most of your hands with these:

• Riichi — declared tenpai with a closed hand.
• Menzen tsumo — a self-drawn win on a closed hand.
• Tanyao — all simples, no terminals or honors.
• Yakuhai — a triplet of dragons, your seat wind, or the round wind.
• Pinfu — an all-runs closed hand, valueless pair, two-sided wait.
• Iipeikou — two identical runs in one suit (closed).

03The 2-han workhorses

• Sanshoku doujun — the same run in all three suits.
• Ittsu — a straight 1-2-3 4-5-6 7-8-9 in one suit.
• Chiitoitsu — seven distinct pairs (closed; a fixed 25 fu).
• Toitoi — all triplets, no runs.
• Chanta — every set contains a terminal or honor.

04The big hands (3+ han)

• Honitsu (混一色) — one suit plus honors (2–3 han).
• Junchan — every set has a terminal, no honors (2–3 han).
• Ryanpeikou — two sets of identical runs, closed (3 han).
• Chinitsu (清一色) — a single suit, no honors (5–6 han) — often a mangan on its own.

05Yakuman — the grand slams

The rarest hands score a fixed yakuman (the maximum), regardless of han:

• Kokushi musou — thirteen orphans (one of each terminal and honor, plus a pair).
• Suuankou — four concealed triplets.
• Daisangen — triplets of all three dragons.
• Tsuuiisou — a hand of all honors.

06One reminder: dora aren't yaku

Dora, uradora and red fives add han only after you already have a yaku — they make a winning hand bigger but can never make a yaku-less hand legal. No yaku, no win. The full mechanics live in Riichi scoring.

07Frequently asked questions