American Mahjong Glossary for Beginners
This is a lookup page, not a lesson — skim it before a game, or come back when a word catches you out. Each entry gives a plain definition, an example of how you will actually hear it, and a link to the guide that teaches it properly.
A to C
Bam One of the three suits, short for bamboo. Numbered one through nine. "Two bam." → Mahjong Tiles
Blind pass Forwarding tiles you were just handed without looking at them. Rules for when this is allowed vary, so ask your table. "Are we allowing blind passes?" → The Charleston
Call Claiming the tile somebody just discarded, to complete a group you can show right away. "Call — I will take that." → Calling and Exposures
Card The annual printed list of winning hands. Every player uses the same one, and it changes each year. "What does the card say for that?" → How to Read a Card
Charleston The fixed passing sequence at the start of a hand, where everyone trades away tiles they cannot use. "Charleston first, then we play." → The Charleston
Concealed hand A hand that must stay hidden in your rack until you win. No exposures allowed. "That one is concealed, so you cannot call for it." → How to Read a Card
Courtesy pass An optional final trade across the table after the Charleston, of an agreed number of tiles. "Courtesy? Two?" → The Charleston
Crack One of the three suits, short for character. Each tile shows a number alongside a Chinese character. "Five crack." → Mahjong Tiles
D to H
Dead hand A hand that can no longer win, usually after a mistaken declaration or an uncorrectable error. "My hand is dead, but I will keep playing along." → How a Hand Is Won
Dealer The player who deals and takes the first turn, seated at East. "Whose deal is it?" → Table Setup
Declare To announce a completed hand out loud, ending the game. "She declared on the draw." → How a Hand Is Won
Discard The tile you place face up in the middle to end your turn, saying its name aloud. "Discarding north." → How to Play
Dot One of the three suits, marked with circles. Numbered one through nine. "Seven dot." → Mahjong Tiles
Dragon An honor tile. Red, green, or white, with four of each in a set. "I need one more dragon." → Mahjong Tiles
Draw Taking one tile from the wall at the start of your turn. "Your draw." → How to Play
Exposure A completed group laid face up on top of your rack after a call. Public and permanent. "Her exposures are all dots." → Calling and Exposures
Flower A decorative tile. In American play all flowers count as the same thing. "I am holding three flowers." → Mahjong Tiles
Honor tiles Winds and dragons as a group. The tiles with no numbers. "Nothing but honors over here." → Mahjong Tiles
J to R
Joker A substitute tile, usable only inside a group of three or more. Never in a pair or a single, and never passed in the Charleston. "Do not waste your joker there." → How Jokers Work
Line One row on the card, describing one complete winning hand. "I am going for the third line down." → How to Read a Card
Mahjong The word you say to declare a completed hand. Also the name of the game. "Mahjong!" → How a Hand Is Won
Mat A cloth or pad that quiets the tiles and protects the table. "Let me get the mat down first." → What You Need
Open Play A drop-in session of casual games, usually with mixed levels and help available. "Come to Open Play on Thursday." → Find a Welcoming Table
Pair Two identical tiles. The smallest useful unit in a hand, and the one place a joker cannot go. "Keep the pair, pass the single." → What to Pass
Rack The stand that holds your tiles upright and facing you. Exposures sit on top of it. "Turn your rack around and show us." → Table Setup
Rewind Backing up a turn or two to fix an error. Routine, quick, and nothing to worry about. "Let us just rewind — put that back." → Common First-Game Mistakes
S to Z
Section A labeled group of related lines on the card. "It is in the section near the bottom." → How to Read a Card
Soap A common nickname for the white dragon, which is blank or nearly blank in many sets. "Anybody want a soap?" → Mahjong Tiles
Social Club A recurring group with regular members, usually assuming you can already play. "She plays in the Wednesday social club." → Find a Welcoming Table
Stray A tile with nothing related to it in your hand. The first thing to pass or discard. "That wind is a stray — send it." → What to Pass
Suit One of the three numbered families: bams, cracks, or dots. "Those two groups have to be the same suit." → Mahjong Tiles
Swap Trading the real tile from your hand for a joker sitting in an exposure. "I will swap for that joker." → How Jokers Work
Teaching table A table where coaching out loud is expected and welcome. "This is a teaching table, so just ask." → Your First Game
Wall The two-high lines of face-down tiles built during setup, used as the draw pile. "The wall is almost gone." → Table Setup
Wall game A hand that ends with no winner because the tiles ran out. A normal outcome. "Wall game — set them up again." → How a Hand Is Won
Washing Shuffling the face-down tiles by hand at the start of setup. "Everybody wash." → Table Setup
Wind An honor tile: north, east, west, or south. Also the name of each seat. "East is the dealer." → Mahjong Tiles
Homework
Five minutes, no tiles. Read the list once, then close it and name every term you can remember. Look up only the ones you missed. Do this twice across a week rather than once, and the words will be there when somebody uses them at a table. Done when: you can name fifteen terms from memory.
Take it to a table
Words learned in a list fade. Words heard at a table stick. Book a lesson or Open Play seat and hear them used in context — you will need this page far less after one session.
New to all of this? Start at What Is American Mahjong?