Mahjong Terminology. Terms every beginner should know.

Last Update：21-10-2024

Have you ever come across Mahjong terms that you don’t understand while playing Mahjong, reading a Mahjong manga, or watching a Mahjong anime?

Here, we introduce Mahjong terms that are essential to know to enjoy the game!

When playing Mahjong with friends, using Mahjong terminology can make you look like an intermediate player. It might even make you seem stronger and put pressure on your opponents!

Mahjong Glossary

Game Unit Terms

Kyoku (Round): A unit of a Mahjong game, starting from the distribution of tiles and ending when someone wins or all tiles are exhausted.
Ryuukyoku (Draw game): When no one wins and the round ends in a draw.
Hanchan: A game consisting of two cycles: East Round and South Round, for a total of 8 rounds.
Isshou: A game consisting of four cycles: East Round, South Round, West Round, and North Round, for a total of 16 rounds.
Tonpuusen: A game mode where only the East Round is played, for a total of 4 rounds.
Nanshuusen: A game mode where both the East and South Rounds are played, for a total of 8 rounds.
Shaashuusen: A game mode where the East, South, and West Rounds are played, for a total of 12 rounds.
Peishuusen: A game mode where all four rounds (East, South, West, North) are played, for a total of 16 rounds.
Oorasu: Refers to the last hand of the game. In a Hanchan (half game), it refers to the 4th hand of the South Round.

Terms Related to the Game Stage

Ba: The rotation in which each of the four players, starting from the East player (Toncha), becomes the dealer once in a clockwise manner.
Tonba: The first rotation where each of the four players, starting from the East player (Toncha), becomes the dealer once. The first half of a Hanchan game.
Namba: The second rotation where each of the four players, starting from the East player (Toncha), becomes the dealer once. The second half of a Hanchan game.
Shaaba: The third rotation where each of the four players, starting from the East player (Toncha), becomes the dealer once. It occurs during the West Round of a full game (Isshou).
Peeba: The fourth rotation where each of the four players, starting from the East player (Toncha), becomes the dealer once. It occurs during the North Round of a full game (Isshou).
Honba: When the dealer either continues as the dealer after winning or the hand ends in a draw (no-ten), a "honba" is added. If a non-dealer wins, the count returns to 0 honba. Example: Ton 1-kyoku, 2 honba (the dealer has continued for 3 hands in the first hand of the East Round).
Aareba: Refers to the state where high-value hands and high points are repeatedly exchanged in the game.
Koba: Refers to the state where small-value hands and low points are repeatedly exchanged in the game.
Tsumi bou: The 100-point stick placed on the table as a marker when the dealer continues (renchan).
Nan nyuu: When the game enters the South Round (Namba).
Shaanyuu: When the game enters the West Round (Shaaba).
Peenyuu: When the game enters the North Round (Peeba).
Hiraba: A hand where there are no "tsumi-bou" on the table and the dealer hasn't continued yet.
Ipponba: Indicates the current state where one "tsumi-bou" has been placed on the table due to the dealer's continuation (renchan) or a draw (ryuukyoku).
Renchan: When the same player continues as the dealer in the same hand.
Ho: The central part of the table surrounded by the mountain tiles, where discarded tiles are placed.
Kaimen: The action of cutting and opening the tile wall according to the dice roll at the time of dealing.

Terms for Player Roles

Oya: The current dealer in the game.
Ko: Players other than the dealer: Nanchan (South), Shanchan (West), and Peichan (North).
Chichan: The first dealer at the start of a Hanchan game, such as the first hand of East 1.
Toncha: The current dealer in the hand.
Nanchan: The player to the right of the current dealer (Toncha).
Shanchan: The player directly opposite the current dealer (Toncha).
Peichan: The player to the left of the current dealer (Toncha).
Kamicha: The player to your left.
Shimocha: The player to your right.
Toimen: The player directly opposite you.
Kariton: The position at which the player who drew the East tile sits when determining player seating at the start of the game.
Karioya: The player who sits at the position indicated by the dice rolled by Kariton when determining player seating at the start of the game.

Game Rules Terminology

Atamahane: A rule that establishes a priority order for winning when two or more players simultaneously declare "ron" on a tile played by another player, giving priority to the closest player in a counterclockwise direction.
Atari hai: The tile that can be declared for "ron." The tile that can declare a win (agari).
Ariari: A rule that allows for "kuitan" (eating a hand) when "tan yao" is recognized. It allows for a later declaration of melds (koutsu) or sets (kantsu) after a meld (furo) has been declared.
Arinashi: A rule that allows either "kuitan" with "tan yao" or later declarations of melds (koutsu) or sets (kantsu) after a meld (furo) has been declared, but not both.
Arisu: A rule that grants a player a chip if they declare a win (agari) after drawing a tile that is adjacent to the displayed "dora" tile while achieving a win through a closed hand or riichi.
Suuhou Renda: The game ends in a draw if all players' first discarded tiles are the same wind tile.
Suufon Tsu Renda: The game ends in a draw if all players' first discarded tiles are the same wind tile.
Suucha Toufon: The game ends in a draw if all players' first discarded tiles are the same wind tile.

Scoring Terminology

Fan (Hanjan): A unit used to count points based on the type of hand or the number of dora.
Fu: A unit used to calculate points based on the type of wait or the type of melds (mentsu).
Futei: A base of 20 fu that is awarded when winning a hand. Also known as "fu-tei."
Mangan: The score awarded when the winning hand has 5 fan. 12,000 points for the dealer, 8,000 points for non-dealers.
Haneman: The score awarded when the winning hand has 6 or 7 fan. It is 1.5 times the points of mangan. 18,000 points for the dealer, 12,000 points for non-dealers.
Baiman: The score awarded when the winning hand has 8, 9, or 10 fan. It is 2 times the points of mangan. 24,000 points for the dealer, 16,000 points for non-dealers.
Sanbaiman: The score awarded when the winning hand has 11 or 12 fan. It is 3 times the points of mangan. 36,000 points for the dealer, 24,000 points for non-dealers.
Kazoeyakuman: The score awarded when the winning hand has 13 fan or more. It is 4 times the points of mangan. 48,000 points for the dealer, 32,000 points for non-dealers.
Yakuman: The highest scoring winning hand. 48,000 points for the dealer, 32,000 points for non-dealers.
Tenbou: A stick used in Mahjong games that shows the points. Players exchange them based on their wins and losses. There are four types: 100-point stick, 1,000-point stick, 5,000-point stick, and 10,000-point stick.
Riichibou: A 1,000-point stick placed on the table as a deposit when declaring riichi.
Tenbako: A box used to hold the tenbous (point sticks).
Hakoten: Refers to the situation where a player's score drops to 0. Also known as "hakoru," "tobi," or "hako."
Aotengou: A rule for calculating points. Normally, points are added based on the number of fan above mangan, but with aotengou, points are calculated even above mangan, leading to potentially very high scores.

Terms Related to Tiles

Hai(Tile): A piece with different designs used in the game. There are 34 types of tiles: 7 honor tiles and 27 number tiles, with 4 of each, totaling 136 tiles.
Hai-pai(Initial Hand): The action of dealing tiles to the four players at the start of each round. The dealer receives 14 tiles, while the other players receive 13 tiles each.
Te-hai(Hand Tiles): The tiles that a player has in hand during the game. Typically, the dealer has 14 tiles, and the other players have 13.
Wanpai(Dead Wall): The 14 tiles that are left at the end of the wall during the initial deal of each round, arranged in two layers of seven. These tiles cannot be drawn, except for the tile drawn from the dead wall when a player declares a kan.
Haiyama(Tile Wall): The tiles stacked on the table at the start of each round, with each player having two layers of 17 tiles.
Piipai(Wall Tiles): The tiles stacked on the table at the start of each round, with each player having two layers of 17 tiles, excluding the dead wall.
Shiipai(Shuffling): The act of mixing the tiles thoroughly by all players at the start of each round.
Taahai(Excess Tiles): The state in which a player has more than 13 tiles in their hand. A player cannot win in that round.
Shouhai(Insufficient Tiles): The state in which a player has fewer than 13 tiles in their hand. A player cannot win in that round.
Riipai(Organizing Tiles): The act of rearranging the tiles in hand in the same type or order.
Anzenpai(Safe Tile): A tile that is unlikely to be a winning tile for other players. Also referred to as an "anpai."
Kikenhai(Dangerous Tile): A tile that is likely to be a winning tile for other players.
Agarihai(Winning Tile): The final tile that completes the winning hand. The tile that allows a player to win through either "ron" or "tsumo."
Hanahai(Flower Tiles): Special tiles depicting the four seasons, used in Chinese mahjong.
Kazehai(Wind Tiles): The tiles representing East, South, West, and North. Also referred to as "wind tiles."
Jihai(Character Tiles): The tiles with designs written in kanji, including the four wind tiles (East, South, West, North) and the three dragon tiles (White, Green, Red), totaling 7 types.
Shuupai(Number Tiles): The tiles with designs written as numbers. There are three types: dots, bamboo, and characters, each numbered from 1 to 9.
Sangenpai(Dragon Tiles): The collective term for the three character tiles: White, Green, and Red.
Chunchanpai(Middle Tiles): The collective term for number tiles numbered from 2 to 8.
Senchanpai(Edge Tiles): The tiles numbered 3 and 7, which are the third tiles from the edge. These are specific tiles for "penchan" waits.
Routouhai(Terminal Tiles): The collective term for the number tiles 1 and 9.
One and Nine Tiles: The collective term for the number tiles 1 and 9, as well as character tiles.
Pinzu(Dot Tiles): The collective term for number tiles decorated with circular designs, ranging from one dot to nine dots.
Manzu(Character Tiles): The collective term for number tiles decorated with the character "万," ranging from one character to nine characters.
Souzu(Bamboo Tiles): The collective term for number tiles decorated with slender bamboo designs, ranging from one bamboo to nine bamboos. *The one bamboo tile features a bird design.
Rinshanhai(Upper Wall Tile): The last four tiles adjacent to the indicated dragon tile when the wall is opened. These tiles are drawn during a kan.
Haiteihai(Last Tile in Wall): The last tile remaining in the wall.
Houteihai(Last Discarded Tile): The last tile discarded by the player who drew the last tile from the wall.
Otakaze(Off-Suit Wind): Wind tiles that are neither the prevailing wind nor the player's wind.
Otakazehai(Off-Suit Wind Tile): Wind tiles that are neither the prevailing wind nor the player's wind.
Kofonpai(Guest Wind Tile): Wind tiles that are neither the prevailing wind nor the player's wind.
Bakaze(Prevailing Wind): The wind tile corresponding to the current round's prevailing wind. In the East round, it's the East tile; in the South round, it's the South tile. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Bakazehai(Prevailing Wind Tile): The wind tile corresponding to the current round's prevailing wind. In the East round, it's the East tile; in the South round, it's the South tile. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Kenfonpai(Circle Wind Tile): The wind tile corresponding to the current round's prevailing wind. In the East round, it's the East tile; in the South round, it's the South tile. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Chanfonpai(House Wind Tile): The wind tile corresponding to the current round's prevailing wind. In the East round, it's the East tile; in the South round, it's the South tile. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Jikaze(Player's Wind): The wind tile corresponding to the player's position in the current round. The East player is represented by the East tile, while the South player is represented by the South tile. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Jikazehai(Player's Wind Tile): The wind tile corresponding to the player's position in the current round. The East player is represented by the East tile, while the South player is represented by the South tile. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Menfon(Door Wind): The wind tile corresponding to the player's position in the current round. The East player is represented by the East tile, while the South player is represented by the South tile. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Menfonpai(Door Wind Tile): The wind tile corresponding to the player's position in the current round. The East player is represented by the East tile, while the South player is represented by the South tile. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Fanpai(Scoring Tile): A scoring tile that provides additional points when a player creates a meld or a kan. This includes dragon tiles, prevailing wind tiles, and circle wind tiles.
Renfonpai(Continuous Wind Tile): A tile that is both a circle wind tile and a door wind tile. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Dabuton(Double East): When the East player forms a meld with the East tile during the East round, it earns 2 points. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Dabunan(Double South): When the South player forms a meld with the South tile during the South round, it earns 2 points. This is one of the scoring tiles.
Korituhai(Isolated Tile): A tile in hand that is isolated and not part of any pairs, triplets, sequences, or melds.

Dora Terms

Dora: A special tile that adds 1 han (one point) when a player has it while winning. Generally referred to as a "kensho tile." It does not add to the yakuhai.
Dora-hyoujihai(Dora Indicator Tile): The tile that indicates the type of dragon. The tile next to the dragon indicator becomes the dragon. For example, if the 2 of Dots is the dragon indicator, then the dragon is the 3 of Dots.
Ura-dora: A rule that states if a player declares a "reach" and wins, the tile directly below the dragon indicator tile also becomes a dragon tile.
Kan-dora: A rule that states when a player declares a "kan," the tile next to the dragon indicator tile is revealed, adding a dragon indicator. Up to 4 tiles can be added.
Kan-ura: If there are Kan dragons added, when a player declares a "reach" and wins, the tile directly below the Kan dragon indicator tile also becomes a dragon tile.
Akahai(Red Tile): A special tile that is treated as a dragon just for having it in the player's hand. Generally, the 5 of Characters, 5 of Dots, and 5 of Bamboo are depicted with red designs.

Terms for Tsumo and Discarded Tiles

Tsumo: The act of a player taking one tile from the tile stack at the beginning of the round.
Dahai(Discard Tile): The act of discarding one tile into the river after a Tsumo or declaring a Pon, Chi, or Kan.
Sutehai(Discarded Tiles): Tiles that have been discarded through the act of discarding, or the tiles arranged in the river.
Tsumogiri: The act of discarding a tile drawn from the tile stack without adding it to the hand.

Terms for Declaring

Pon: The act of creating a meld of three tiles (Kotsu) by taking a tile from another player that matches a pair already in hand.
Chi: The act of creating a meld of three consecutive numbered tiles (Shuntsu) by taking a tile discarded by the player above.
Ming-kan: The act of creating a meld of four tiles (Kantsu) by taking a tile discarded by another player when there are three matching tiles already in hand.
An-kan: The act of creating a meld of four tiles (Kantsu) using a tile drawn from the stack when there are three matching tiles already in hand.
Kuu-pon(Empty Pon): Withdrawing a Pon that has been declared.
Kuu-chi(Empty Chi): Withdrawing a Chi that has been declared.
Kuu-kan(Empty Kan): Withdrawing a Kan that has been declared.
Gopon(Wrong Pon): The act of declaring a Pon incorrectly.
Gochi(Wrong Chi): The act of declaring a Chi incorrectly.
Gokan(Wrong Kan): The act of declaring a Kan incorrectly.
Furo: The act of forming a meld (Menzi) by taking a tile discarded by another player through Pon, Chi, or Ming Kan.
Naku: The act of forming a meld (Menzi) by taking a tile discarded by another player through Pon, Chi, or Ming Kan.
Ponzai(Pon Material): Tiles that can be used as material to create a Pon.
Ponten: The state of being tenpai after declaring Pon and obtaining the winning tile.

Menzen/Kui Terms

Menzen-Yaku: A yaku achieved by not declaring Pon, Chi, or Ming Kan and winning solely through Tsumo.
Menzen: The state of self-arranging hand tiles without declaring any Pon, Chi, or Ming Kan using tiles discarded by other players.
Kuisagari: The state of losing one han due to declaring Pon, Chi, or Ming Kan with tiles discarded by other players.
Kui-seigen-nasi(No Restriction on Kui): The state where declaring Pon, Chi, or Ming Kan with tiles discarded by other players does not prevent the formation of a yaku.
Kui-Tan: The state of forming a Tanyao while declaring Pon, Chi, or Ming Kan with tiles discarded by other players.

Tile Combinations Terminology: Menzi

Jan-tou / Atama(Head): A combination of two identical tiles in a winning hand, also referred to as a "janto".
Mentsu(Meld): Tile combinations formed in a winning hand, including Shuntsu, Kotsu, and Kantsu.
Tatsu: A combination of two tiles numbered in sequence (e.g., [12], [56], or [79]) that is one tile away from forming a Shuntsu.
Toitsu: A combination of two identical tiles (e.g., [22] or [77]) that is one tile away from forming a Kotsu.
Shuntsu: A combination of three consecutive numbered tiles (e.g., [123] or [567]) that forms a meld.
Kotsu: A combination of three identical tiles (e.g., [222] or [East East East]) that forms a meld.
Kantsu: A combination of four identical tiles (e.g., [2222] or [East East East East]) that forms a meld.
Anko: The act of forming a Kotsu using tiles drawn or in the initial hand.
Minko: The act of forming a Kotsu through declaring Furo.
Ankan: The act of forming a Kantsu using tiles drawn or in the initial hand.
Minkan: The act of forming a Kantsu through declaring Furo (also referred to as Daimin Kan).
Ka-Kan: The act of forming a Kantsu when a tile drawn from the stack matches a tile in a previously declared Pon.

Winning Terms

Agari: To declare a win by showing the completed hand according to the rules, either by drawing (tsumo) or claiming from another player (ron). If there are no issues, the win is confirmed.
Agari Hai: The winning tiles, which can be either a ron tile or a tsumo tile. When a player wins, the last tile they were waiting for is called the agari hai. If there are multiple tiles they were waiting for, all of them are considered agari hai.
Agari Houki: A state where a player cannot win due to committing a violation during the game. This refers to a penalty.
Agari Renchan: If the dealer wins, they can continue playing, but if they are only in tenpai, the turn passes to the next player.
Ron: To complete the winning hand using another player’s discarded tile and declare the win. This is also referred to as a direct hit (chokugeki) or direct take (chokutori).
Tsumo: 1) To complete the winning hand through a draw (tsumo) and declare the win.
2) The act of drawing one tile from the wall.
Furikomi / Houjuu: To have another player win off one of your discarded tiles. Also called Houjuu (means shooting a gun).
Ipatsu: To win by drawing or claiming within one turn after declaring a reach. If a player is ponged, chii’d, or kan’d before winning, it is invalidated.

Waiting Terms

Kanchan-machi: A waiting shape in tenpai where, for example, the incomplete set is [1,3] with no middle number, waiting for that middle tile to complete the sequence.
Penchan-machi: A waiting shape in tenpai where, for example, the incomplete set is [1,2] and waiting for a tile at either end to complete the sequence.
Ryumens-machi: A waiting shape in tenpai where, for example, the incomplete set is [3,4], allowing completion of the sequence with either tile on either end.
Tanky-machi: A waiting shape in tenpai where all sets are complete except for one tile needed to form a pair, known as a tanky wait. When waiting for the last tile, it may be referred to as "jigoku tanky."
Suupai-machi: A waiting shape in tenpai where the incomplete set is [3,3,中,中], creating two pairs, and either type of tile can complete the win.
Nobetan-machi: A waiting shape in tenpai where only one tile is needed to complete a pair, having hand tiles like [2,3,4,5], waiting for either a 2 or 5.
Hadaka Tanki: A state where all sets are exposed due to pongs, chii’s, or kan’s, waiting for the last tile to form the pair.

Reach / Tenpai Terms

Iishanten: A state where only one tile is needed to reach tenpai.
Ryanshanten: A state where two tiles are needed to reach tenpai.
Tenpai: A state where only one tile is needed to declare a win.
No-ten: A state where the sets or pairs are not formed, indicating a non-tenpai state.
No-ten-bappu: If no player wins when the round ends, the non-tenpai player must pay points to the tenpai player, typically calculated as 3,000 points in the current round.
Riichi: To declare a win while in tenpai, placing a 1,000 point stick on the table; the condition is that the melds must be closed.
Soku-rii: To declare reach immediately upon reaching tenpai.
Double-riichi: To declare reach on the first turn, allowing a two-han win.
Ashi-dome-riich: To declare a reach with a weak hand or poor shape to delay or disrupt other players' tenpai.
Damaten: A state of being in tenpai without declaring reach.
Yamiten: A state of being in tenpai without declaring reach.
Furiten: A situation where your winning tile is in your discarded tiles or you missed a winning tile after declaring reach.
Doujunnai-furiten: A state of having missed a winning tile discarded by another player while in tenpai, before your next draw.
Karaten: A state of tenpai where all winning tiles are visible or are in your hand, meaning none remain in the wall.
Chiiten: To declare a chii and reach tenpai with the obtained tile.

Terms Related to “Sujis” (Tile Sequences)

Suji (Tile Sequence): A two-tile combination that needs one more tile to complete a "Shuntsu" (sequence) is called a "Taatsu." The waiting tiles on both ends of this sequence are referred to as "Suji," meaning a two-sided wait. For example, if your hand contains [ 4-5 ], you're waiting for [ 3-6 ]. There are six main suji:
[ 2-3 ] for [ 1-4 ]
[ 3-4 ] for [ 2-5 ]
[ 4-5 ] for [ 3-6 ]
[ 5-6 ] for [ 4-7 ]
[ 6-7 ] for [ 5-8 ]
[ 7-8 ] for [ 6-9 ]
These are the six suji.
Omote Suji (Primary Sequence): In cases where another player is on a two-sided wait, tiles that are considered safe due to the Furiten rule are called "Omote Suji." For example, if another player has discarded a [ 4 ], they cannot be waiting for [ 1-4 ] or [ 4-7 ]. If they discard [ 5 ], they're not waiting for [ 2-5 ] or [ 5-8 ]. If [ 6 ] is discarded, there’s no [ 3-6 ] or [ 6-9 ] wait. Thus, the suji for discards of [ 4 ] are [ 1-7 ], for [ 5 ] it's [ 2-8 ], and for [ 6 ] it's [ 3-9 ].
Naka Suji (Middle Sequence): When another player is on a two-sided wait, certain tiles are considered safe according to the Furiten rule. For example, if the discards include [ 1-7 ], there’s no [ 4 ] wait; if [ 2-8 ] is discarded, there's no [ 5 ] wait; if [ 3-9 ] is discarded, there's no [ 6 ] wait. The related suji are:
Discards of [ 1-7 ] indicate [ 4 ],
Discards of [ 2-8 ] indicate [ 5 ],
Discards of [ 3-9 ] indicate [ 6 ].
Kata Suji (Single Sequence): This refers to tiles that are part of only one side of a two-sided wait, which is used for reading safe tiles. For example, if a player has discarded:
[ 1 ], then [ 4 ] is part of the suji;
[ 2 ], then [ 5 ];
[ 3 ], then [ 6 ];
[ 7 ], then [ 4 ];
[ 8 ], then [ 5 ];
[ 9 ], then [ 6 ].
Ura Suji (Hidden Sequence): Refers to suji that originate from tiles adjacent to a discard and are considered dangerous. For example, if a [ 4-6 ] wait transforms into a [ 5-8 ] wait, with [ 5 ] being adjacent to [ 4 ], this is an "Ura Suji." There are a total of 9 Ura Suji:
Discards of [ 1 ] lead to [ 2-5 ],
Discards of [ 2 ] lead to [ 3-6 ],
Discards of [ 3 ] lead to [ 4-7 ],
Discards of [ 4 ] lead to [ 5-8 ],
Discards of [ 5 ] lead to [ 1-4 ], [ 6-9 ],
Discards of [ 6 ] lead to [ 2-5 ],
Discards of [ 7 ] lead to [ 3-6 ],
Discards of [ 8 ] lead to [ 4-7 ],
Discards of [ 9 ] lead to [ 5-8 ].
Aida Yonken (Four-Space Interval): A particularly dangerous situation where two Ura Suji overlap. For example, if a player discards both [ 1 ] and [ 6 ], the Ura Suji for [ 1 ] is [ 2-5 ] and for [ 6 ] is also [ 2-5 ], creating a four-space interval.
Suji Oi (Chasing Suji): The tactic of discarding tiles that are considered safe based on the suji mechanism or avoiding dangerous tiles to prevent another player from winning by Ron.

Strategy Terms

Oriru (To Fold): Choosing to prioritize defense by discarding safe tiles to avoid getting hit by a Ron from other players, instead of focusing on completing your own hand.
Betaori (Full Folding): Completely abandoning the fight and focusing on defense by discarding safe tiles like "Genbutsu" (previously discarded safe tiles) or using suji to avoid danger, even at the cost of ruining your own hand.
Tupparu (To Push Through): Continuing to play aggressively, even if it means discarding potentially dangerous tiles, with the goal of completing your hand and winning.
Zen Tsuppa (Full Push): A strategy of continuing to push aggressively, disregarding potential danger, until the hand is completed. Also called "Zen Tsuppa" (full push), this strategy focuses solely on winning.
Mawashi Uchi (Roundabout Play): A strategy where you avoid dangerous tiles and continue aiming to complete your hand, focusing on avoiding a Ron while still seeking to win.
Awase Uchi (Matching Discards): A defensive strategy where you discard the same type of tile as the player before you (Kamicha). This makes the tile a completely safe "Genbutsu" (safe tile), as it cannot be claimed by Ron from any player during that turn.
Kabe (Wall): When all four tiles of a particular number are visible on the board, a "Kabe" (wall) is formed. This creates a safe suji for two-sided waits and can be used as a defensive tactic.
No-Chance: The state where all four tiles of a certain type are visible, forming a "Kabe" and creating a safe suji for two-sided waits. This is used as a defensive tactic to avoid Ron.
One-Chance: When three tiles of a certain type are visible, forming a partial wall that can be used as a defensive strategy. However, there’s still a chance that another player is waiting for the remaining tile.
Genbutsu (Safe Tile): Tiles that have already been discarded by a tenpai or riichi player and cannot be claimed by them for Ron.
Kanzen Anzenpai (Completely Safe Tile): A tile that has no chance of being claimed for Ron by any player, due to the game state or matching discards (awase uchi), but only within the same turn.
Shonpai (Unseen Tile): A tile that has not yet been discarded, revealed in the Dora indicator, or melded by any player.

Penalty Terms

Chombo (Misdeal): An illegal action or mistake in Mahjong. There are various types of chombo, and the player who commits the offense must pay a penalty in the form of points or forfeiting the win.
Bappu (Penalty Points): Points or point sticks taken from a player due to errors such as committing a chombo or missing a winning tile. These penalties usually consist of 8000 points.
Pao: A rule where a player must pay a penalty when they help another player complete a Yakuman (highest hand). This usually applies in cases like "Daisangen" or "Suukantsu," where assisting by discarding or declaring a "kan" can secure a Yakuman for another player. If the Yakuman is completed, the assisting player (Pao) bears the full responsibility for payment.
Tobi: Refers to a situation where a player's points drop to zero or below. When a player goes "bankrupt," the game ends. Typically, the player who is "Tobi" may face a penalty or, in some rules, receive a special bonus for being the first to drop out.
Yakitori: A penalty imposed on a player who fails to win a single hand during the game. In tournaments or certain rule sets, additional points or penalties may be given to a player who is "Yakitori" at the end of the game.

Scoring Terms

Yakuman: The highest scoring hand in Mahjong. Examples include "Daisangen" (Big Three Dragons), "Kokushi Musou" (Thirteen Orphans), and "Daisushi" (Big Four Winds). When a Yakuman is achieved, it typically awards far more points than any other scoring method.
Double Yakuman: A special variant of Yakuman, where the hand's difficulty is significantly higher, resulting in double the points of a regular Yakuman. Hands like "Suankou Tanki" (Four Concealed Triplets with a single wait) or "Pure Nine Gates" fall under this category.
Sanbaiman: A hand worth three times the points of a "Mangan" (Full Win). While not as powerful as a Yakuman, it is still an exceptionally strong hand in terms of scoring.
Baiman: A hand worth double the points of a "Mangan" (Full Win). It's a high-scoring hand that can deal significant damage to opponents.
Mangan: A hand that falls within a specific point range, usually considered a high-scoring hand. Typically, a hand worth 7700 points or more is regarded as a Mangan, providing a solid amount of points.