Glossary

Mahjong Terminology

This glossary contains the most important terms used in Mahjong. Refer to it whenever you encounter unfamiliar terminology.

A-C

Bamboo (Sticks)

One of the three suit types, featuring bamboo stalk patterns.

Characters (Cracks)

One of the three suit types, featuring Chinese number characters.

Chow

A sequence of three consecutive tiles of the same suit (e.g., 1-2-3 of Bamboo).

Concealed

A set made entirely from your own draws, kept hidden until you win.

D-H

Dead Wall

The last 14 tiles in the wall, reserved for special purposes like kong replacements.

Discard

A tile placed face-up in the center after drawing, available for other players to claim.

Dots (Circles)

One of the three suit types, featuring circular patterns.

Dragon

One of three special honor tiles: Red Dragon, Green Dragon, or White Dragon.

East

The dealer and starting player. Also one of the four wind tiles.

Eyes (Pair)

Two identical tiles, required as part of a winning hand.

Exposed

A set made by claiming a discarded tile, which must be revealed to other players.

K-P

Kong

Four identical tiles. Requires drawing a replacement tile from the dead wall.

Mahjong

The declaration made when completing a winning hand.

North

One of the four wind tiles and seating positions.

Pair

See "Eyes" - two identical tiles required for a winning hand.

Pung

Three identical tiles (a triplet).

S-W

Self-Draw

Winning by drawing a tile from the wall yourself, worth more points than winning from a discard.

Sequence

See "Chow" - three consecutive tiles of the same suit.

South

One of the four wind tiles and seating positions.

Suit

One of three tile categories: Bamboo, Characters, or Dots.

Triplet

See "Pung" - three identical tiles.

Wall

The structure of face-down tiles from which players draw during the game.

West

One of the four wind tiles and seating positions.

Wind

One of four honor tiles: East, South, West, or North. Also refers to seating positions.

Winning Hand

A complete hand consisting of four sets and one pair (14 tiles total).

Practice Tips

Use the interactive game above to practice matching terms with their visual representations. This will help you remember the terminology more effectively.