Mahjong Basics
Last updated: 2026-10-18
Introduction
Understanding the fundamental rules of mahjong is essential for effective tile efficiency training. This guide covers the basics you need to know before using the training tools.
About This Guide
This guide focuses on rules directly related to tile efficiency training. For specialized terminology, see the Glossary.
The Tiles
Mahjong uses 144 tiles divided into several categories:
Numbered Tiles (1-9)
There are three suits of numbered tiles, each numbered 1 through 9, with 4 copies of each tile (36 tiles per suit, 108 total):
Characters (Man/万)
- Represented by the character "万"
- Example: 1万, 2万, 3万... 9万
Dots (Pin/筒)
- Circular dots
- Example: 1筒, 2筒, 3筒... 9筒
Bamboos (Sou/条)
- Bamboo sticks
- Example: 1条, 2条, 3条... 9条
Example: A complete set of numbered tiles
Characters 1–9Each strip is one copy of the nine numbers. A set has four copies of each. A hand you train on mixes suits. The 13-tile figures in Tenpai are that mix.
Honor Tiles
Wind Tiles (4 types × 4 copies = 16 tiles)
- East (东, z1), South (南, z2), West (西, z3), North (北, z4)
Dragon Tiles (3 types × 4 copies = 12 tiles)
- White Dragon (白, z5), Green Dragon (发, z6), Red Dragon (中, z7)
Example: A complete set of honor tiles
Honors do not form sequences. They still form triplets and pairs. The Red Dragon triplet later in this page is z777.
Basic Hand Composition
Standard Hand Size
- Starting hand: 13 tiles
- After drawing: 14 tiles
- After discarding: Back to 13 tiles
- To win: Form a winning combination + draw the winning tile
Key Point
The game alternates between drawing and discarding, maintaining 13 tiles in hand until you win.
Tile Groups
To form a winning hand, tiles must be organized into specific groups:
Sequence (Shuntsu)
Three consecutive tiles of the same suit.
4m, 5m, and 6m. Consecutive numbered tiles of one suit. A gap, such as 4 and 6 without 5, is not a sequence. Neither is a mix of suits, such as 4m, 5p, and 6s.
7s, 8s, and 9s. The edge of a suit is still a sequence. 789 is three tiles. 89 alone is not finished yet. That two-tile edge shows up again as a penchan in Tenpai.
Important Notes:
- Sequences can only be formed with numbered tiles (not honors)
- Sequences must be consecutive (1-2-3 is valid, 1-3-4 is not)
- Sequences must be of the same suit
Dots follow the same rule. 567p in the first regular win below is a sequence, just as 456m and 789s are.
Triplet (Koutsu)
Three identical tiles.
Three 2p. A triplet is one number, three times. It is not a sequence, and it is not two pairs.
Three Red Dragons (z7, 中). Honors have no consecutive order, so they never form a sequence. Three identical honors are a triplet.
Pair (Head/Eyes)
Two identical tiles (required for winning in regular form).
Two 5s. Regular form uses one pair as the head. Two tiles are not a triplet. Seven pairs, later on this page, is seven of these.
Winning Hand Structures
A finished hand is 14 tiles. Its shanten is −1: the tiles already contain a win. The trainer's number is the minimum of three closed shapes: 4 sets + 1 pair, seven pairs, and thirteen orphans. Shanten is where that minimum is the whole lesson.
The analyzer link on a 14-tile figure opens the cut view. That view scores the 13 left after a discard. On every finished hand in this section, every discard leaves shanten 0. The caption's −1 is the 14. The table is the 13 after the cut.
立直 counts all three shapes. 国标 counts 4 sets + 1 pair and counts 七对. It does not count thirteen orphans. 川麻, in the 血战到底 reading used on this site, has no honors and no chi, scores 七对 only on tables that include it, and requires 定缺 before a win is legal. The finished hands below still hold man, pin, and bamboo, and some hold honors, so they are shapes, not 川麻-ready wins.
Regular Form (Standard Winning Hand)
The most common winning structure: 4 sets + 1 pair
Shanten −1. Sequences 234m, 567p, 345s, and 678s, plus a pair of 5p. 5p is in the hand three times: one copy is inside 567p, and the other two are the pair. Any one discard leaves shanten 0.
Shanten −1. Sequences 789m and 456p, a triplet of 1s, a triplet of South (z2), and a pair of West (z3). Same 4 sets + 1 pair, with honors used as a triplet and as the head. Any one discard leaves shanten 0.
Seven Pairs (Chitoitsu)
A special winning form: 7 pairs (no sequences or triplets needed)
Seven distinct pairs. A triplet would still count as one pair on this path, not two. Neither hand below has a third copy.
立直 scores seven pairs. 国标 scores 七对 as a special pattern, so this path counts there too. 川麻 scores 七对 only on tables that include it. The trainer includes the path either way.
Shanten −1. Pairs of 3m, 4m, 1p, 2p, 5s, 6s, and Red Dragon (z7). Seven pairs, no sequence and no triplet. Any one discard leaves shanten 0.
Shanten −1. Pairs of 1m, 2m, 3p, 4p, 5s, 6s, and 7s. The same seven-pair shape, with no honor. Any one discard leaves shanten 0.
Thirteen Orphans (Kokushi)
Thirteen terminals and honors, with one of those kinds paired. The terminals are 1 and 9 of each suit. The honors are East, South, West, North, White Dragon, Green Dragon, and Red Dragon. A tile outside those thirteen kinds does not belong in the shape.
立直 scores this as a yakuman. 国标 and 川麻 do not have this win. The trainer still measures the shape, because the printed number is the minimum of the three paths.
Shanten −1. Pair of 1m, plus one each of 9m, 1p, 9p, 1s, 9s, East, South, West, North, White Dragon, Green Dragon, and Red Dragon. Any one discard leaves shanten 0.
Tenpai (Ready Hand)
A hand that is one tile away from winning is called "tenpai" (ready hand). On 13 tiles the trainer calls that shanten 0.
Two waits show up here. A ryanmen is two adjacent tiles whose both outer neighbors finish a sequence: 56 waits on 4 and 7. A penchan is only 12 waiting on 3, or 89 waiting on 7. The first two hands are the same ryanmen in different suits. The third is a penchan. Both shapes are shanten 0. Width is not a second shanten. Wait types names the other shapes.
Each of these 13s still holds man, pin, and bamboo. Under 川麻 定缺, a legal win has already dropped one suit. Shanten 0 here is the shape, not a 川麻 hu.
Shanten 0. Waits 4m and 7m: 2 kinds, 8 tiles, four left of each. Sequences 123p, 456p, and 789p, pair 88s, and 56m as the ryanmen. 4m completes 456m. 7m completes 567m.
Shanten 0. Waits 4s and 7s: 2 kinds, 8 tiles, four left of each. Sequences 123m, 456m, and 789m, pair 88p, and 56s as the ryanmen. Same wait as the hand above, with the ryanmen moved to bamboos and the pair moved to dots.
Shanten 0. Waits 7s: 1 kind, 4 tiles. Sequences 123m, 123p, and 456p, pair 99m, and 89s as the penchan. Only 7s completes 789s. A finished 789 would be the sequence at the top of this page. 89 alone is the edge.
Basic Gameplay Flow
The Turn Cycle
- Start: Receive 13 tiles
- Draw: Pick one tile from the wall → now have 14 tiles
- Decide: Determine if you can win, or which tile to discard
- Discard: Discard one tile → back to 13 tiles
- Repeat: Continue until someone wins
Why 14 Tiles?
After drawing, you have 14 tiles. You must discard one to maintain 13 tiles, or declare a win if you have a winning hand.
Why This Matters for Training
Understanding these basics is essential for tile efficiency training because:
✓ Pattern Recognition
Recognize valid tile groups quickly to assess hand value.✓ Decision Making
Make better discard choices by understanding what combinations you're building toward.✓ Efficiency Calculation
Calculate shanten and tenpai more accurately with solid fundamentals.✓ Speed
Improve reaction time by instantly recognizing tile patterns.Notation Used in This Tool
In the training tool, tiles are represented using a compact notation:
- m = Characters (Man/万)
- p = Dots (Pin/筒)
- s = Bamboos (Sou/条)
- z = Honor tiles (z1 East through z4 North, then z5 White Dragon, z6 Green Dragon, z7 Red Dragon)
Numbers follow the letter to indicate which tile. For example:
m456= Characters 4, 5, 6, the first sequence abovep222= three 2 Dots, the first triplet aboves789= Bamboos 7, 8, 9z777= three Red Dragonsm234p567s345s678p55= the first regular win above (14 tiles, shanten −1)p123456789m56s88= the first tenpai above (13 tiles, waiting on 4m and 7m)
Next Steps
Now that you understand the basics:
- Review the Glossary - Learn specialized terminology used in training
- Read the User Guide - Start using the training tools
- Practice - Begin with Tenpai Training to identify ready hands