Reference

Mahjong Glossary

Use a grouped Mahjong glossary with 50+ terms, context examples, and links for Chinese, Hong Kong, Riichi, MCR, Filipino, and Taiwanese Mahjong.

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Mahjong Glossary Definitions

The glossary defines the terms used across the rules guides, tutorials, puzzles, and live Mahjong game surfaces on tsumo.

Core Structure

Tile

A single Mahjong piece in your hand or on the table.

Example: Draw one tile, then discard one tile.

Suit

Dots, Bamboo, or Characters tile families.

Example: A chow requires 3 tiles in the same suit.

Honor

Wind or Dragon tiles.

Example: Honors often anchor value in HKOS and Riichi.

Terminal

A 1 or 9 tile in a suit.

Example: Terminal-heavy hands may influence pattern options.

Simple Tile

Suit tile values 2 through 8.

Example: Tanyao in Riichi uses only simple tiles.

Set

A complete tile group used in winning shape.

Example: Most hands need 4 sets and 1 pair.

Pair

Two identical tiles used as the eye.

Example: A standard hand needs exactly one pair.

Concealed Hand

A hand with no meld opened from another player’s discard; a concealed quad may still count as concealed depending on the rule.

Example: Winning by Ron does not by itself make a Riichi hand open.

Open Hand

A hand containing at least one meld called from another player’s discard.

Example: Opening can improve speed but remove closed-only scoring options.

Tenpai

A ready hand one tile away from winning.

Example: Riichi can be declared from legal tenpai only.

Wall / Live Wall

The face-down tiles players normally draw from; the live wall excludes any reserved dead-wall section.

Example: An exhaustive draw occurs when the live wall runs out without a legal win.

Dealer

The player assigned East for the current hand and usually responsible for the opening discard.

Example: Dealer continuation and bonuses depend on the selected mode.

Hand and Round

A hand is one deal from setup to win or draw; a round is a larger sequence of hands, often associated with a prevailing wind.

Example: Several hands can be played during one East round.

Meld

A completed sequence, triplet, or quad; a meld may be concealed or exposed.

Example: Most standard wins use four melds plus one pair.

Wait

The tile or tiles that would complete a ready hand.

Example: A 4-5 shape can wait on either 3 or 6 when the rest of the hand is complete.

Shanten

A count of how many tile improvements a hand is away from Tenpai; zero shanten means one step from ready.

Example: A discard that lowers shanten usually advances the hand.

Ukeire

The remaining tiles that improve a hand’s shanten or useful shape.

Example: Two equally close hands can differ greatly in how much ukeire remains.

Noten

A hand that is not in Tenpai when a draw is resolved.

Example: Some Riichi profiles transfer points between Tenpai and Noten players after an exhaustive draw.

River / Discard Pool

The visible tiles a player has discarded, normally kept in order.

Example: Your own river is essential when checking Riichi Furiten.

Turn and Claim Actions

Draw

Taking one tile from the wall on your turn.

Example: Every normal turn starts with a draw.

Discard

Releasing one tile from your hand after draw.

Example: Discard choice defines both offense and defense.

Claim

Interrupt action using another player discard.

Example: PONG and CHOW are claim actions.

CHOW

The app action for exposing a sequence of three consecutive suited tiles.

Example: A sequence can be claimed only by the next player, sitting to the discarder’s right.

PONG

The app action for exposing a triplet of identical tiles.

Example: A legal triplet claim can come from any opponent’s discard.

KONG

The app action for declaring a quad of four identical tiles.

Example: A quad changes draw flow and may reveal another dora indicator in Riichi.

WIN

The Simplified Chinese app label for winning from another player’s discard.

Example: WIN has priority over ordinary meld claims.

SELF-DRAW-WIN

The Simplified Chinese app label for winning on your own draw.

Example: SELF-DRAW-WIN appears only when the current hand passes the app’s legality checks.

HU

The HKOS, MCR, and Taiwanese app label for winning from another player’s discard.

Example: HU is an interface label, not a universal English term for every ruleset.

ZIMO

The HKOS, MCR, and Taiwanese app label for winning on your own draw.

Example: ZIMO appears when the drawn tile completes a legal hand.

RON

The Riichi term and app action for winning from another player’s discard.

Example: Furiten can block Ron even when the hand has a legal yaku.

TSUMO

The Riichi term and app action for winning on your own draw.

Example: Tsumo may remain possible while Furiten blocks Ron.

Dead Wall

Reserved tiles used for indicators/replacements in some variants.

Example: Riichi draws replacement tiles from dead wall after Kans.

Claim Priority

Rule order resolving simultaneous claim rights.

Example: WIN claims resolve before meld claims.

Scoring Terms

Score

The value of a winning hand after the rules for that mode are checked.

Example: A hand can look complete and still miss the scoring requirement for the mode.

Eligibility

The rule a hand still has to meet before you can win.

Example: Riichi needs yaku; HKOS needs enough faan.

Fan/Faan

Hong Kong style scoring units for hand value.

Example: This app uses minimum 3 non-flower faan for HKOS wins.

Point Gate

Minimum point threshold required in a mode.

Example: MCR uses an 8 non-flower point gate.

Pattern

Recognized scoring hand feature in a ruleset.

Example: MCR scoring is pattern-combination heavy.

Bonus Tile

A tile or bonus that adds value without always making the hand winnable on its own.

Example: Dora adds value but does not replace yaku in Riichi.

Seat Wind

Wind assigned by current seat position.

Example: Seat wind sets can add value in HKOS and MCR.

Round Wind

Current prevailing wind of the round.

Example: Round wind interacts with wind scoring patterns.

False Hu

An invalid win declaration: the hand fails its shape, eligibility, or other ruleset requirement.

Example: An MCR hand with only 1–7 non-flower points is one possible False Hu.

Riichi Terms

Yaku

The scoring pattern that makes a Riichi hand winnable.

Example: No yaku means no win in Riichi.

Han

A Riichi value unit contributed by yaku and bonus sources such as dora.

Example: The hand still needs a yaku for legality even if bonus tiles add several han.

Fu

Riichi minipoints used in final scoring calculation.

Example: Han and fu combine into final point payout.

Riichi Declaration

Ready-hand declaration that locks hand shape.

Example: Declare riichi only with acceptable wait quality.

Dora Indicator

Shown tile that points to bonus-value tile.

Example: Indicator is not itself the bonus tile.

Ura Dora

Hidden bonus indicators revealed after riichi win.

Example: Ura dora applies only in eligible riichi contexts.

Ippatsu

A one-han Riichi yaku for winning within the first uninterrupted turn cycle after declaring.

Example: A legal Chii, Pon, or Kan normally ends the Ippatsu window.

Furiten

A Riichi state that blocks Ron because a winning tile is in your river, you passed a legal Ron, or you passed after declaring Riichi.

Example: Furiten blocks Ron on every current wait, but a legal Tsumo can still win.

Honba

A repeat-hand counter that adds a configured bonus to Riichi payments.

Example: Honba usually increases while the dealer continues or after certain draws.

Riichi Stick

The 1,000-point stake placed on the table when a player declares Riichi.

Example: The eventual winner collects the accumulated Riichi sticks under the app profile.

Red Five / Aka Dora

A red-colored five tile that counts as dora in profiles that enable it.

Example: tsumo ranked Riichi uses red fives, while WRC 2025 does not.

Push-Fold

Riichi endgame choice between attack and safety.

Example: Strong wait may justify push; weak upside favors fold.

MCR and HKOS Terms

Flower Replacement

Immediate replacement draw after revealing a flower tile.

Example: HKOS and MCR include flower replacement flow.

Chicken Hand

MCR special valid 8-point path when non-flower score is zero.

Example: Chicken hand is valid only under strict conditions.

Non-Flower Points

The MCR points that count toward the minimum before flower bonuses are added.

Example: In MCR, you check the non-flower total first.

Value Anchor

Reliable scoring source kept early to avoid under-value hands.

Example: Wind/dragon groups act as value anchors in HKOS.

Pattern Route

The scoring pattern you are trying to build toward in MCR.

Example: In MCR, it helps to keep a main pattern and a backup in mind.

Fallback Route

Your backup hand plan when the main one stops working.

Example: A backup plan keeps an MCR hand from collapsing when key tiles die.

Minimum Faan Check

The last HKOS value check before you call the win.

Example: This app requires at least 3 non-flower faan in HKOS.

Claim Value Check

Evaluating whether a claim preserves legal scoring path.

Example: Skip claims that reduce your legal completion odds.

Wall Exhaustion

Round ending when no more live wall draws remain.

Example: Some rounds end in draw if no legal win occurs.

Filipino and Taiwanese Terms

Tai

Taiwanese Mahjong scoring unit counted additively after a legal hand is complete.

Example: Dragon PONG and Wind PONG can each add tai in Taiwanese Mahjong.

Todas

Filipino Mahjong discard win payout term.

Example: Declare Todas when another player discards the tile that completes your Filipino hand.

Bunot

Filipino Mahjong self-draw win payout term.

Example: Bunot is the Filipino self-draw route once the hand is complete.

Secret Kong

Filipino concealed-kong side payment.

Example: Secret Kong pays 1 unit from each opponent before the replacement draw.

Siete Pares

Filipino seven-pairs hand route.

Example: Siete Pares gives Filipino Mahjong a pair-based alternative to five sets plus one pair.

16-Tile Hand

Hand structure used in Filipino and Taiwanese Mahjong, holding 16 tiles and winning with a 17th tile.

Example: Both Taiwanese and Filipino modes use a 16-tile hand, requiring five sets plus one pair to win.