180+ Japanese Mahjong Terms You Need to Know [2026 Glossary]

Learning Japanese Mahjong means learning Japanese. At least some of it.

You're playing online, someone calls "Pon!" and you freeze. What does that mean? Your opponent declares riichi. Another player says "Ron!" Game over. But what happened?

This confusion ends today.

Why I built this glossary

After 17+ years playing professionally in Japan, I've answered terminology questions thousands of times. New players struggle with the same terms. Intermediate players mix up similar concepts. Even experienced players occasionally forget obscure yaku.

PDF glossaries exist. They're useful. But they're also:

Hard to search
Not mobile-friendly
Overwhelming to browse
Missing context and examples

So I built something better.

Introducing the NPMahjong Glossary

→ → → Access the full glossary here ← ← ←

What's inside:

180+ essential terms covering every aspect of Riichi Mahjong
Japanese (kanji + hiragana) for authentic learning
Romaji for pronunciation
English translations so you understand
Brief explanations with context
Usage examples where relevant

How to use it

The glossary is designed for quick lookups and deep learning.

Quick search: Type any term in Japanese, romaji, or English. Results filter instantly.

Category browsing: Click a category tab to focus on specific topics. Learning yaku? Filter to see only winning hands.

Expand for details: Click any card to reveal the full explanation and usage examples.

Jump navigation: On desktop, use the quick-jump menu to skip to any section.

Terms every beginner should know first

Start here:

Riichi (立直) - The declaration that defines this variant
Tsumo (自摸) - Drawing a tile / winning by self-draw
Ron (栄) - Winning from another player's discard
Pon (碰) - Calling a triplet
Chi (吃) - Calling a sequence
Dora (ドラ) - Bonus tiles for extra points
Tenpai (聴牌) - One tile away from winning
Furiten (振聴) - The rule that blocks your ron

Master these eight and you'll understand 80% of what happens at the table.

Terms that confuse intermediate players

These trip people up:

Shanten vs Tenpai - Shanten counts tiles away; tenpai means zero away
Menzen vs Naki - Closed hand vs open hand (affects scoring)
Ryanmen vs Kanchan - Two-sided wait vs middle wait (affects pinfu)
Ura-suji vs Suji - Dangerous tiles vs safe tiles (defense)

The glossary explains each with context.

Yaku you should memorize

Every player should know:

1 han basics:

Riichi, Tsumo, Tanyao, Pinfu, Yakuhai

2 han hands:

Chiitoitsu, Toitoi, Sanankou, Sanshoku

High-value targets:

Honitsu (3 han), Chinitsu (6 han)

Yakuman dreams:

Kokushi, Suuankou, Daisangen

All 40 yaku in the glossary include han values and requirements.

Slang that makes you sound like a regular

Want to talk like Japanese players?

Damaten - Silent tenpai (no riichi call)
Betaori - Full defensive mode
Ike-ike - Aggressive "go go" style
Top/Las - First place / Last place
Hikkake - Trap wait using suji against opponents

47 slang terms in the glossary. Use them sparingly until you're comfortable.

Scoring terms demystified

Scoring confuses everyone at first. Key concepts:

Han - Main multiplier (yaku + dora)
Fu - Minipoints from hand composition
Mangan - 5 han cap (8000/12000 points)
Haneman, Baiman, Sanbaiman - Higher tiers
Yakuman - Maximum hand (32000/48000)

The glossary breaks down each scoring threshold with point values.

Keep learning

This glossary pairs well with other resources:

Best Riichi Mahjong Tools - Practice and study materials
Riichi Book I - Free strategy guide
Game Log Reviews - Professional feedback on your play

Bookmark the glossary. Reference it during games. Quiz yourself on categories.

Questions about specific terms? Contact me or join the Discord.

Browse the full glossary now