Tile types

There are many different types of tiles. These categories are relevant to certain yaku and for fu scoring.

Simple

Tiles numbered from 2-8 are classed as chunchanhai 「中張牌」, or "simples". These include:

                       

They are:

  • Used for tanyao ("All Simples"), which requires every tile to be a simple tile.
  • Worth normal fu when used in a triplet or kan.

Terminal

Tiles numbered 1 or 9 are classed as routouhai 「老頭牌」, or "terminals" in English. They are called "terminals" because they are always the end of a sequence; a tile group such as 9-1-2 is not a valid sequence. These include:

        

They are:

Honor

Tiles that are not numbered, i.e. the wind and dragon tiles, are called jihai, or honor tiles in English.

Winds:     

Dragons:    

They are:

Yakuhai

The yakuhai (lit. "value tiles") are a subset of honor tiles. The yakuhai are not consistent - which tiles are yakuhai will depend on what round and seat you are in.

  • Dragons are always yakuhai.
  • Wind tiles of the round wind (e.g. East tiles during East round) are yakuhai.
  • Wind tiles of the seat wind (e.g. West tiles as the West seat) are yakuhai.

They are:

  • Used for the yaku of "yakuhai" - a triplet of yakuhai is a yaku of its own.
  • Worth 2 fu when used as the pair (a yakuhai pair thus disqualifies a hand from pinfu).
    • If the pair is both the round wind and seat wind, it may be worth 4 fu (subject to rule variation).

Non-Simple

Yaochuuhai 「幺九牌」, or "non-simples", refers to both terminal and honor tiles. In other words, if a tile is not numbered from 2-8, then it is a non-simple.

Terminals:       

Winds:     

Dragons:    

They are, collectively: