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」
Win
|
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
「あり,アリ,有り」
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
| Ba
「場」
Wind round
|
A “wind round”, e.g. tonba (east round) or nanba (south round).
|
| Bakaze
「場風」
Round wind
|
Round wind.
|
| Barai
「払い」
Payment
|
A payment. Also “furikomi”.
|
| Bazoro
「場ゾロ」
|
The two base Han used when calculating score, given by default rather than from yaku.
|
| Betaori
「ベタ降り」
Full defense
|
A strategy that focuses entirely on avoiding dealing into opponents’ hands, with no intention of developing one’s own hand.
|
|
C
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Chii
「チー」
|
The call used to make a minjun from an opponent’s discard.
|
| Chombo
「冲合」
|
A penalty that results in a mangan payment and restarts the current round.
|
| Chunchan
「中張」
|
The tiles numbered 2 through 8.
|
|
D
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Daburon
「ダブロン」
Double ron
|
A rule that allows two people to Ron the same tile.
|
| Daiminkan
「大明槓」
Open kan
|
A kan formed with possession of three tile types, and calling on the discarded fourth tile.
|
| Dejitaru
「デジタル」
Digital
|
A school of thought focused on the outcome of a game, explained by probability and statistics.
|
| Dorahyouji
「ドラ表示」
Dora indicator
|
The flipped tile on the dead wall, indicating the dora.
|
|
E
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
F
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Fu
「符」
Mini-points
|
A unit used to measure the hand's score, based on meld and wait composition.
|
| Furikomi
「振り込み」
Payment
|
A payment, also “barai”.
|
| Furiten
「振聴」
Sacred discard
|
A rule that disables a player's ability to win by discard, due to the presence of a winning tile in the discard and/or the declining of a win during riichi.
|
| Fuutei
「副底」
Base fu
|
The 20 base Fu used when calculating score, given by default rather than from composition.
|
|
G
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Genbutsu
「現物」
Safe tile
|
A 100% safe tile.
|
|
H
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Haipai
「配牌」
Start hand
|
The players' dealt tiles at the beginning of a hand.
|
| Haiteihai
「海底牌」
Last draw
|
The last drawable tile in the wall.
|
| Haiyama
「牌山」
Wall
|
The walls from which tiles are drawn.
|
| Han
「飜」
|
The hand value count based on yaku value and/or dora.
|
| Hanchan
「半荘」
Full East-South game
|
A game consisting of an East and South round.
|
| Harabote
「腹ボテ」
|
A Shanpon or Tanki wait embedded inside a Shuntsu. For example, 4556 waiting on 5.
|
| Honba
「本場」
|
A counter to indicate the number of hands in-between winning hands, usually indicated by 100-point sticks.
|
| Houjuu
「放銃」
Deal in
|
To deal into a hand.
|
| Houteihai
「河底牌」
Last discard
|
The very last discarded tile for a hand.
|
|
I
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Iichan
「一荘」
4 round game
|
A game consisting of East, South, West, and North rounds. More common in Chinese variants.
|
| Ikasama
「イカサマ」
|
To cheat using sleight of hand, etc.
|
| Inchiki
「雀頭」
Pair
|
The pair in a standard mahjong hand. Also named “atama”.
|
|
J
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Jantou
「雀頭」
Pair, eye
|
The pair in a standard mahjong hand. Also “atama”.
|
| Jansou
「雀荘」
Mahjong parlor
|
A public place specifically used to host and cater mahjong play
|
| Jigokumachi
「地獄待ち」
Hell wait
|
A wait in which all but one of the winning tiles are visible or claimed.
|
| Jikaze
「自風」
Self wind
|
Your seat wind.
|
| Jun
「巡」
Turn
|
The turn number within a round.
|
|
K
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Kabe
「壁」
|
A tile-counting technique that measures the possibility of someone making Shuntsu based on how many instances of a tile are visible.
|
| Kamicha
「上家」
|
The player to the left of one's perspective.
|
| Kanchan
「嵌張」
Closed wait
|
A wait that completes the inside of a Shuntsu, like a 4-6 waiting on 5.
|
| Kandora
「カンドラ」
|
Additional dora indicators revealed after calling kan.
|
| Kikenhai
「危険牌」
Dangerous tile
|
Dangerous tile, or a tile that may be likely used by another player to win with.
|
| Kiru
「切る」
Discard
|
To discard a tile.
|
| Koutsu
「刻子」
Triplet
|
A meld of three identical tiles.
|
| Kuikae
「喰い替え」
|
A rule that allows you to call a tile, then discard another tile that could have completed the meld. For example, to chi 123 and discard a 4.
|
| Kuisagari
「喰い下がり」
|
A property of some yaku that reduces the han value by 1 when the hand is open.
|
| Kuitan
「喰い断」
Open tanyao
|
A rule that allows tanyao to be open.
|
| Kyoku
「局」
Round, Hand session
|
A portion of the game, starting from the dealing of tiles and ends with the declaration of a win, aborted hand, or draw. Examples: East Round 1. South Round 2.
|
|
L
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
M
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Machi
「待ち」
Wait pattern
|
The tiles waiting for with a tenpai hand.
|
| Manzu
「萬子」
Characters
|
One of the three numbered suits, consisting of a kanji number plus 萬, meaning 10000.
|
| Mawashiuchi
「回し打ち」
|
The strategy of attempting to develop a hand, while discarding only safe tiles.
|
| Mentanpin
「メンタンピン」
|
Abbreviation for Menzen-Tanyao-Pinfu, a common set of yaku.
|
| Mentsu
「面子」
Meld, Group (tiles)
|
The melds: koutsu, shuntsu, and kantsu.
|
| Menzen
「門前」
Closed hand
|
A fully closed hand, thus no open melds.
|
| Min
「明」
Open
|
Meaning “light”, refers to tiles that have been exposed by calling.
|
| 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.
|
| Minkou
「明刻」
Open triplet
|
An open koutsu made by calling a discarded tile.
|
|
N
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Naki
「鳴き」
|
Calling a discarded tile.
|
| Nan
「南」
South
|
South wind tile.
|
| Nashi
「なし,ナシ,無し」
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.
|
| Nashi Nashi
「ナシナシ」
|
Ruleset which disallows kuitan and atozuke. Opposite of Ari Ari.
|
| Nobetan
「延べ単」
|
A double Tanki wait, e.g. 4567 waiting on 4 or 7.
|
| Noten
「ノーテン」
|
When your hand is not in tenpai at the end of the round.
|
| Noten bappu
「ノーテン罰符」
Noten penalty
|
A payment made at the end of a round by those who are not in tenpai (or choose not to reveal their hands) to those who are in tenpai.
|
| Nukidora
「抜きドラ」
Extracted dora
|
A tile that counts as Dora when extracted from the hand, e.g. flower tiles or the Pei (North) in most three-player variants.
|
|
O
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Occult
「オカルト」
Occult, Superstition
|
A school of thought tying game outcome with luck, flow, mahjong demons, psychology, etc.
|
| Oka
「オカ」
Winner bonus
|
First place bonus applied when calculating uma.
|
| Oikake riichi
「追いかけリーチ」
Riichi challenge
|
To declare riichi after someone else rather than defend.
|
| Okurikan
「送り槓」
|
Four tiles that could be called for kan, but rather left undeclared in order to use the tiles for other melds.
|
| Oorasu
「オーラス」
All last, Last hand
|
The final regular hand of a game.
|
| Otakaze
「客風」
Off wind tiles
|
Non-bonus wind tiles. For example, if seated South in the East round, then Otakaze are West and North tiles.
|
| Oya
「親」
Dealer
|
The dealer position, seated east
|
|
P
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Pao
「包」
|
A property of certain yakuman that causes one person to be responsible for the whole payment if they discarded the tile that made it a yakuman.
|
| Pei
「北」
North
|
North wind tile.
|
| Penchan
「辺張」
End wait
|
A wait consisting of 12 waiting on 3, or 89 waiting on 7.
|
| Pinzu
「筒子」
Dots, Circles
|
The suit consisting of dot patterns.
|
| Pon
「ポン」
|
A tile call used to make a minkou from an opponent’s discard.
|
|
Q
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
R
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Renchan
「連荘」
|
A continuation of dealer position because the dealer either won or was tenpai at the end of the round.
|
| riipai
「理牌」
|
Arranging the tiles in your hand.
|
| Rinshanpai
「嶺上牌」
|
The tile drawn after making a Kan.
|
| Ron
「栄 or ロン」
|
A win using an opponent’s discard.
|
| Routouhai
「老頭牌」
Terminals
|
The tiles numbered 1 and 9.
|
| Ryankan
「両嵌」
|
Two kanchan shaped taatsu merged together, e.g. 357 which can be completed by either 4 or 6.
|
| Ryanmen
「両面」
Open wait
|
A two-sided wait, like 56 waiting on 4 or 7.
|
| Ryuukyoku
「流局」
Drawn hand
|
The end of the hand, where every tile not in players' hands and the dead wall has been drawn and discarded; and no winning hand was determined.
|
|
S
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Saikoro
「骰子」
Dice
|
The dice, used to determine dealer position and wall breaks.
|
| Sakizuke
「先付け」
|
Disallows a yakuless hand to win upon gaining yaku with a discard. Opposite to atozuke.
|
| Sanma
「」
Three player, 3P
|
The game played with three players.
|
| Sashikomi
「差し込み」
|
Intentionally dealing into an opponent’s hand.
|
| Shaa
「西」
West
|
The west tile.
|
| Shabo
「シャボ」
Dual pair
|
Abbreviation of shanpon.
|
| Shanpon
「双ポン」
Dual pairs
|
A wait consisting of two pairs, one of which must be upgraded to a koutsu.
|
| Shibori
「絞り」
|
Holding on to tiles that an opponent would otherwise be likely to pon or chi.
|
| Shimocha
「下家」
Right player
|
The player to the right.
|
| Shoku
「色」
Color
|
Suit. Literally means "color".
|
| Shonpai
「生牌」
Live tile
|
A tile that has not yet been discarded this round.
|
| 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.
|
| Shuupai
「数牌」
Number tiles
|
The number tiles. Also “suupai”.
|
| Souzu
「索子」
Bamboo tiles
|
The suit consisting of patterns of bamboo sticks.
|
| Suji
「筋」
Tile interval
|
The tiles that complete ryanmen (open waits). Means “muscle”.
|
| Suupai
「数牌」
Number tiles
|
The number tiles. Also “shuupai”.
|
| Suteru
「捨てる」
To discard
|
To discard a tile.
|
|
T
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Taatsu
「塔子」
|
A tile pattern that can be turned into a shuntsu with one more tile. For example, 46 can be completed with a 5.
|
| Tanyaohai
「断幺牌」
Simples
|
The tiles numbered 2 through 8. Also “chunchan”.
|
| Tanki
「単騎」
Pair wait
|
A wait on a single tile to complete the pair.
|
| Tenbou
「点棒」
Point sticks
|
Point sticks.
|
| Tenpai
「聴牌」
Ready
|
A hand that needs only one tile to win.
|
| Toitsu
「対子」
Pair
|
A pair of identical tiles.
|
| Toimen
「対面」
Across
|
The player sitting directly across from you.
|
| Ton
「東」
East
|
East wind tile.
|
| Tonpuusen
「東風戦」
East only round
|
A game consisting of an East only round.
|
| Tsumo
「自摸」
Self-draw
|
A self-drawn tile. Also short for Menzenchin tsumohou, or winning by self-draw.
|
| Tsumokiri
「ツモ切り」
|
Discarding the tile that was just drawn.
|
|
U
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Uma
「ウマ」
+/-
|
An additional end game score, calculated based on the ante, plus-minus adjustment, and game rank.
|
| Ura dora
「裏ドラ」
Underneath dora
|
Additional dora located underneath previously revealed dora indicators, which can be earned by winning with riichi.
|
|
V
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
W
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| wanpai
「王牌」
|
The “dead” section of wall that can’t be used except for Dora indicators and Kan draws.
|
| wareme
「割れ目」
|
A rule that doubles any payment involving the player whose wall was broken at the start of a kyoku
|
|
X
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
|
Y
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Yakitori
「焼き鳥」
Winless game
|
A penalty applied to players, who failed to win a hand
|
| Yaku
「役」
Hand pattern
|
A scoring pattern in the hand that awards Han, such as Tanyao or Toitoi.
|
| Yama
「山」
|
The tile walls, literally means "mountains".
|
| Yaochuuhai
「幺九牌」
|
All tiles numbered 1 and 9 (routouhai) plus characters (jihai).
|
|
Z
| Japanese
|
Kanji
|
English
|
Explanation
| Zentsuppa
「全ツッパ」
All out
|
A strategy that attempts to win a hand at all costs while ignoring the possibility of dealing into an opponent’s hand.
|
|
External links
Terminology list at Osamuko