Japanese Terminology (日本語用語集)
33.1 Core Game Terms
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 麻雀 | maajan | Mahjong |
| 立直 | riichi | Riichi declaration |
| 和了 | agari | Win |
| 自摸 | tsumo | Self-draw win |
| 栄/ロン | ron | Win by discard |
| 放銃 | houjuu | Deal-in |
| 聴牌 | tenpai | Ready to win |
| 不聴 | noten | Not ready |
| 振聴 | furiten | Furiten |
| 流局 | ryuukyoku | Exhaustive draw |
| 親 | oya | Dealer |
| 子 | ko | Non-dealer |
| 連荘 | renchan | Dealer repeat |
| 半荘 | hanchan | Half-game match |
| 東風戦 | tonpuusen | East-only match |
| オーラス | oorasu | All-last |
33.2 Tile Terms
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 萬子 | manzu | Characters suit |
| 筒子 | pinzu | Circles suit |
| 索子 | souzu | Bamboo suit |
| 字牌 | jihai | Honor tiles |
| 風牌 | fonpai | Wind tiles |
| 三元牌 | sangenpai | Dragon tiles |
| 幺九牌 | yaochuuhai | Terminals+honors |
| 中張牌 | chunchanpai | Simples (2-8) |
| 老頭牌 | routouhai | Terminals (1,9) |
33.3 Meld and Hand Terms
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 面子 | mentsu | Group/meld |
| 順子 | shuntsu | Sequence |
| 刻子 | koutsu | Triplet |
| 槓子 | kantsu | Quad/Kan |
| 雀頭 | jantou | Pair (head) |
| 対子 | toitsu | Pair |
| 暗刻 | ankou | Concealed triplet |
| 明刻 | minkou | Open triplet |
| 門前 | menzen | Closed hand |
| 副露/鳴き | fuuro/naki | Open calls |
33.4 Strategy Terms
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 牌効率 | hai kouritsu | Tile efficiency |
| 受入 | ukeire | Acceptance count |
| 向聴 | shanten | Tiles from tenpai |
| 待ち | machi | Wait |
| 押し引き | oshi-hiki | Push/fold |
| 守備 | shubi | Defense |
| ベタオリ | betaori | Full fold |
| 筋 | suji | Suji defense |
| 壁 | kabe | Wall block |
| 現物 | genbutsu | 100% safe tile |
| 着順 | chakujun | Placement |
| 期待値 | kitaichi | Expected value |
| 黙聴 | damaten | Silent tenpai |
33.5 Wait Type Terms
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 両面待ち | ryanmen-machi | Two-sided wait |
| 嵌張待ち | kanchan-machi | Middle wait |
| 辺張待ち | penchan-machi | Edge wait |
| 双碰待ち | shanpon-machi | Dual pair wait |
| 単騎待ち | tanki-machi | Pair/single wait |
33.6 Scoring Terms
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 飜 | han | Han (scoring multiplier) |
| 符 | fu | Fu (minipoints) |
| 満貫 | mangan | Mangan (5 han) |
| 跳満 | haneman | Haneman (6-7 han) |
| 倍満 | baiman | Baiman (8-10 han) |
| 三倍満 | sanbaiman | Sanbaiman (11-12 han) |
| 役満 | yakuman | Yakuman (limit hand) |
| 本場 | honba | Repeat counter |
| 供託 | kyoutaku | Deposits on table |
This terminology list covers the most commonly used terms. For full glossary with definitions, see the Glossary page.
33.7 Pronunciation Guide for Key Terms
Correct pronunciation of Japanese mahjong terms helps when watching M-League broadcasts, reading Japanese resources, or playing in Japanese-speaking environments. Key pronunciation notes for English speakers:
Riichi (リーチ): Pronounced "REE-chee" with a long "ee" sound. Not "rye-chee" or "ree-tchee."
Tsumo (ツモ): Pronounced "TSOO-moh" with the "tsu" sound (place tongue behind upper teeth and release a "ts" sound). Not "soo-moh."
Ron (ロン): Pronounced "ROHN" with a slightly rolled R. Short and clean.
Pon (ポン): Pronounced "POHN." Short and decisive.
Chi (チー): Pronounced "CHEE" with a long "ee."
Kan (カン): Pronounced "KAHN."
Mangan (満貫): Pronounced "MAHN-gahn" with equal stress on both syllables.
Tenpai (聴牌): Pronounced "TEN-pie" (the "pai" rhymes with "pie").
In live Japanese mahjong settings, calls must be made clearly and promptly. The standard etiquette, as described in the rules of the 日本プロ麻雀連盟 (Japan Professional Mahjong League), requires that declarations be audible to all players at the table.
Source notes: All Japanese terminology verified against standard Japanese mahjong dictionaries and rule references.