Glossary
Common terminology used in mahjong tile efficiency training.
Basic Concepts
Tenpai (Ready Hand)
A hand that has completed 4 sets + 1 pair combination and only needs one more tile to win.
Shanten 0. Two kinds, 8 copies: 4m×4, 7m×4. Sequences 123p, 456p, and 789p, pair 88s, and ryanmen 56m.
Shanten 0. One kind, 3 copies: 9s×3. Triplets 111m, 222m, and 333m, sequence 123s, and a single 9s.
Shanten 0. Three kinds, 11 copies: 1s×4, 4s×3, 7s×4. Sequences 123m and 123p, pair 99m, and 23456s as one sequence plus a taatsu. 4s is ×3 because one copy is already in the hand.
Heqie (Discard Decision)
The process of deciding which tile to discard from a 14-tile hand.
Best discard is 1s. The remaining 13 is shanten 0, two kinds, 6 copies: 1m×3, 4m×3. Cutting 1m or 4m also leaves shanten 0, with 3 copies each.
Shape Terms
Meld (Set)
A group of three tiles in a winning hand, either a sequence or a triplet. The standard hand has 4 melds + 1 pair.
Head (Pair)
A pair of identical tiles required in the winning hand, also called "eyes" or "head" (将 jiàng).
Example: Head
Sequence (Shuntsu)
Three consecutive tiles of the same suit, like m123 or p456.
Example: Sequence
Triplet (Koutsu)
Three identical tiles, like m111 or p555.
Example: Triplet
Taatsu (Incomplete Sequence)
An incomplete sequence combination, including:
- Two-sided taatsu: like
45, can wait for3or6 - Middle taatsu: like
46, can only wait for5 - Edge taatsu: like
12, can only wait for3
Example 1: Two-sided Taatsu
Example 2: Middle Taatsu
Example 3: Edge Taatsu
Shanten Related
Shanten Number
Indicates how many steps (effective draws) away from tenpai. Lower is better.
- 0 shanten = tenpai (ready)
- 1 shanten = one tile away from ready
- 2 shanten = two tiles away from ready
- And so on
Shanten 0. Two kinds, 8 copies: 4m×4, 7m×4.
Shanten 1. Six kinds, 20 copies: 1p×3, 2p×3, 3p×4, 1s×3, 2s×3, 3s×4.
Shanten 2. Sixteen kinds, 53 copies: 1m×3, 2m×4, 3m×3, 4m×4, 5m×3, 6m×4, 7m×3, 1p×3, 2p×4, 3p×4, 4p×3, 5p×3, 6p×3, 7p×3, 8p×4, 9p×2.
One Shanten
A state one effective tile away from tenpai, a key focus of tile efficiency training.
Shanten 1. Sequences 123m, 456m, and 789m, plus edge taatsu 12p and 12s. Six kinds reach tenpai, 20 copies: 1p×3, 2p×3, 3p×4, 1s×3, 2s×3, 3s×4.
Effective Tiles
Tiles that can reduce the shanten number when drawn. For example, in one shanten state, all tile types that can make the hand ready.
Shanten 1. The effective tiles are 1p, 2p, 3p, 1s, 2s, and 3s: six kinds, 20 copies (1p×3, 2p×3, 3p×4, 1s×3, 2s×3, 3s×4). Drawing any of them changes the shanten from 1 to 0.
Improvement
Drawing a tile that improves hand state, including tiles that reduce shanten.
Special Hands
Chitoitsu (Seven Pairs)
A winning hand composed of 7 pairs, no sets needed.
Pairs of 1m, 2m, 3p, 4p, 5s, 6s, and Red Dragon. The analyzer's cut table ties every tile: each discard leaves shanten 0 with 3 copies.
Kokushi (Thirteen Orphans)
A special winning hand using all 13 terminal and honor tiles plus one pair.
Pair of 1m plus every terminal and honor. Best cut is 1m, leaving shanten 0 with 39 copies. Each of the other twelve cuts leaves shanten 0 with 4 copies.
Regular Form (Standard Winning Hand)
The basic winning hand structure composed of 4 sets + 1 pair.
Sequences 234m, 567p, 345s, and 678s, and a pair of 5p. Every cut leaves shanten 0. Best cuts are 7p, 3s, and 8s, 11 copies each.
Triplets 111m and 222m, sequences 456p and 789s, and a pair of 8s. Best cut is 9s, leaving shanten 0, three kinds, 11 copies: 6s×4, 7s×3, 9s×4.
Strategy Terms
Tile Efficiency
The ability to maximize improvement chances and tenpai speed through reasonable discards and keeps.
Good Shape
Hand shapes that are easy to improve with many waiting tiles.
Shanten 0. Two kinds, 8 copies: 4s×4, 7s×4. Sequences 123m, 456m, and 789m, pair 88p, and ryanmen 56s.
Poor Shape
Hand shapes that are difficult to improve. At tenpai that includes a single wait or a middle wait. The hand below is the earlier case: still three steps from tenpai.
Shanten 3. Eighteen kinds, 62 copies: 2m×4, 3m×3, 4m×4, 5m×3, 6m×4, 7m×3, 8m×4, 9m×3, 2p×3, 3p×4, 4p×3, 5p×4, 6p×3, 1s×3, 2s×4, 3s×3, 4s×4, 5s×3.