Mah Jongg Glossary: Essential Terms & Definitions | NMJL Guide
Whether you're new to American Mah Jongg or a seasoned player, understanding the terminology is essential. This comprehensive glossary covers tiles, gameplay mechanics, and NMJL-specific terms to enhance your game experience.
Tile Categories
Suits
- Bams (Bamboos)
- One of the three suits in Mah Jongg, featuring bamboo stick designs. Numbered 1 through 9, with four identical tiles of each number.
- Cracks (Characters)
- A suit displaying Chinese characters representing numbers 1-9. Also called "Craks" or simply "Characters."
- Dots (Circles)
- A suit showing circular dots in various arrangements, numbered 1-9. The most visually distinctive suit in premium designer Mah Jongg sets.
Honor Tiles
- Dragons
- Three types of honor tiles: Red Dragon, Green Dragon, and White Dragon (Soap). Four of each type in a standard set.
- Winds
- Four directional tiles: East, South, West, and North. Each appears four times in a complete 152-tile set.
- Flowers
- Bonus tiles unique to American Mah Jongg, typically numbered 1-8. Used in specific hands on the NMJL card.
- Jokers
- Wild tiles that can substitute for any tile except in specific restricted hands. American Mah Jongg sets include 8 jokers.
Gameplay Terms
The Charleston
- Charleston
- The tile-passing ritual at the start of each game where players exchange unwanted tiles with opponents. A defining feature of American Mah Jongg.
- First Charleston
- The initial three passes: right, across, and left. Each player passes three tiles in each direction.
- Second Charleston (Optional)
- An optional second round of passing that occurs if all players agree. Passes go left, across, then right.
- Courtesy Pass
- An optional exchange of 1-3 tiles with the player across after the Charleston, if both players agree.
Hand Building
- Pung
- Three identical tiles (e.g., three 5 Bams). A fundamental building block in many Mah Jongg hands.
- Kong
- Four identical tiles. In American Mah Jongg, often required for specific hands on the card.
- Pair
- Two identical tiles. Most winning hands require at least one pair.
- Quint
- Five identical tiles, possible only with jokers. Featured in advanced hands on the NMJL card.
- Sextet
- Six identical tiles. Rare and challenging hands requiring multiple jokers.
- Run (Sequence)
- Consecutive numbered tiles in the same suit (e.g., 4-5-6 Dots). Common in "Consecutive Run" category hands.
Calling & Exposing
- Call
- Claiming a discarded tile to complete a pung, kong, or to declare Mah Jongg.
- Exposure
- Tiles revealed face-up on your rack after calling. Once exposed, you cannot change hand categories.
- Concealed Hand
- A hand with no exposures, kept entirely hidden until Mah Jongg is declared. Often worth more points.
Winning & Scoring
- Mah Jongg
- The winning declaration when your hand matches a pattern on the official NMJL card exactly.
- Dead Hand
- A hand that can no longer win, usually due to an incorrect number of tiles or an illegal exposure.
- Wall Game
- A game that ends with no winner because all tiles have been drawn from the wall.
- Self-Pick
- Winning by drawing the final tile yourself rather than calling someone's discard. May be worth double points.
NMJL Card Categories
- 2468
- Hands using only even-numbered tiles (2, 4, 6, 8).
- 13579
- Hands using only odd-numbered tiles (1, 3, 5, 7, 9).
- Consecutive Run
- Hands featuring sequential numbers in one or more suits.
- Winds-Dragons
- Hands composed primarily of honor tiles (Winds and Dragons).
- 369
- Hands using tiles numbered 3, 6, and 9 exclusively.
- Singles and Pairs
- Hands made entirely of pairs, with no pungs or kongs.
Equipment Terms
- Rack
- The wooden or acrylic holder where players organize their tiles during play.
- Pushers
- Plastic or wooden tools used to build and break the wall of tiles.
- Wall
- The square formation of tiles built at the start of each game, two tiles high and 19 tiles long per side.
- Bettor
- A dice-like cube used to determine who starts as East and where to break the wall.
Ready to Play?
Now that you're familiar with the terminology, explore our collection of premium American Mah Jongg sets. Each luxury tile set features designer finishes and includes all 152 tiles, racks, and accessories you need to play.
New to the game? Visit our How to Play guide for complete rules and strategies, or learn proper tile care and maintenance to keep your set in pristine condition.
This glossary reflects American Mah Jongg rules as standardized by the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL).