Mahjong terms in Chinese and English
The words you hear at a Taiwanese mahjong table, with Traditional and Simplified Chinese, pinyin and English. Most link to the rule that uses them.
Playing a hand
- 胡
- Declaring that your hand is complete: five sets and a pair. On this site you press 胡 twice, and the table checks the hand.
- 自摸
- Winning on a tile you drew yourself rather than on someone's discard. All three other players pay.
- 吃
- Claiming the discard of the player before you to complete a run of three consecutive tiles in one suit.
- 碰
- Claiming a discard from any player to complete three identical tiles.
- 槓杠
- Four identical tiles. You can claim a discard, declare four from your own hand (a concealed kong), or add a fourth tile to a pung you already have.
- 搶槓抢杠
- Winning on the tile another player adds to a pung to make a kong, before the kong completes. Worth 1 tai.
- 聽牌听牌
- One tile away from winning. The tiles that would complete the hand are your waits.
- 截胡
- When several players declare a win on the same discard, only the one nearest the discarder in turn order wins. A win outranks a pung or kong, which outranks a chow.
- 過水过水
- If you let a tile go by when you could have won on it, you cannot win on that same tile from anyone until your own next draw or meld.
- 詐胡诈胡
- Declaring a win on a hand that is not complete. The hand ends at once and the declarer pays every other player.
- 流局
- The wall runs down to its reserve with nobody winning. Nobody pays, and the dealer keeps the deal.
Dealer, winds and points
- 莊家庄家
- The player who moves first (East) in a hand. The dealer collects and pays one extra tai.
- 連莊连庄
- Keeping the deal after winning (or after a draw game). 連N拉N adds 2 tai per streak on top of the dealer's 1.
- 圈風圈风
- The wind of the current round. A pung of it is worth 1 tai for everyone.
- 門風门风
- Your own wind this hand: the dealer is East and the others follow in turn order. A pung of it is worth 1 tai.
- 底
- The fixed amount every payment starts from, chosen by the host along with the per-tai points.
- 台
- The unit of scoring in Taiwanese mahjong. Each pattern in a winning hand is worth some tai.
- 門清门清
- Winning without ever claiming a meld from another player's tile (concealed kongs are fine). Worth 1 tai, or 3 with a self-draw.
- 全求人
- All five sets claimed from discards, winning on a discard with only the pair left in hand. Worth 2 tai.
Tiles and special wins
- 花牌
- The eight bonus tiles: four flowers and four seasons. They are set aside when drawn and replaced from the wall.
- 八仙過海八仙过海
- One player collecting all eight flower and season tiles wins at once for 8 tai.
- 七搶一七抢一
- One player has seven flower and season tiles and another holds the eighth: the seven-tile holder wins at once for 8 tai.
- 萬子万子
- The suit marked with the Chinese numerals one to nine and 萬. Also called the characters or wan suit.
- 筒子
- The suit of circles, numbered one to nine. Also called the circles or coins suit.
- 條子条子
- The suit of bamboo sticks, numbered one to nine.