Naturally, the featured game is Japanese mahjong. Therefore, a multitude number of Japanese terminology are used. The following list includes the Japanese terminology, English equivalent, and the terminology usage.
A
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Agari
「和がり」
|
Generic term for winning a hand
|
| aidayonken
「間四軒」
|
An interval of four between two discarded number tiles. Usually indicates dangerous waits. A discarded 1 and 6 make a 2—5 wait very probable.
|
| Akapai
「赤牌」
Red dora
|
Red tiles that count as Dora. Usually fives, but not always.
|
| An
「暗」
Closed, concealed
|
Means "dark", refers to tiles that are concealed in the hand.
|
| Anjun
「暗順」
Concealed sequence
|
Three self-drawn consecutive tiles of the same suit, used as one of the four melds in a regular hand. An open sequence would be a minjun, the general term for a sequence is shuntsu.
|
| Ankan
「暗槓」
Concealed kan
|
Four self-drawn identical tiles set aside as a kantsu. Declaring an ankan does not open the hand if it was previously closed.
|
| Ankou
「暗刻」
Concealed triplet
|
Three self-drawn identical tiles, used as one of the four melds in a regular hand. Compare with the yaku names san ankou and suu ankou. An open triplet would be a minkou, and the general term for any triplet is koutsu.
|
| Anpai
「安牌」
Safe tile
|
Safe tile, or tiles not subject to agari (to be called as winning tiles).
|
| Aotenjou
「青天井」
No capping
|
A rarely used rule, which eliminates the score cappings mangan, haneman, etc., and scores all hands as directly with the scoring formula.
|
| Ari
「アリ」
In effect, on
|
States that the preceding rule is used, as in akadora ari for playing with red fives. Opposite of nashi.
|
| Ari ari
「アリアリ」
|
Ruleset which allows kuitan and atozuke. Most common basic set of rules in Japan.
|
| Atama
「頭」
Pair, eye
|
The pair in a standard mahjong hand. Also "jantou".
|
| Atozuke
「先付け」
After-attach
|
Allows a hand to win despite having no guaranteed yaku while in tenpai, as long as the winning tile generates a yaku. Opposite of sakizuke.
|
| Awaseuchi
「合わせ打ち」
|
Discarding the same tile as someone else, to avoid dealing into their hand.
|
|
B
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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C
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
D
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
E
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
F
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
G
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
H
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
I
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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J
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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K
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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L
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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M
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Minjun
「」
Open sequence
|
An open shuntsu, or a sequence of three consecutive tiles, formed by calling chii on the previously missing tile. A concealed shuntsu would be an anjun.
|
|
N
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Nashi
「」
Invalid, off
|
States that the preceding rule is not in effect, as in kuikae nashi for disallowing players to call a tile and immediately discard another tile which would have also completed the called meld.
|
|
O
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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P
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
Q
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
R
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
S
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Shuntsu
「」
Sequence
|
This is the generic term for, three consecutive tiles of the same suit, whether open or closed. Chii is used to call a tile to complete a shuntsu and set it aside as a minjun (open). A concealed (closed) shuntsu is an anjun.
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|
T
| Japanese
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Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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U
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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V
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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W
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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X
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
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Y
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
Z
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
External links
Terminology list at Osamuko