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cantonese culture reference

Cantonese Mahjong Phrases and What They Mean

Wesley Ng ·

Half the fun of Hong Kong Mahjong is the table talk. Here are the essential Cantonese phrases every player should know.

Winning & losing5

食糊Sik Wu
"I win!" (by claiming a discard)Literally "eat the pot," sik wu is what you call out when you complete your hand by claiming another player's discard — the most common way to win. Winning on your own draw instead is zi mo (自摸).
自摸Ji Mo / Zi Mo
"Self-drawn win!"Call this when you draw the winning tile yourself from the wall. This earns you extra faan and means all three opponents pay. Learn more about the self-drawn win vs discard win distinction.
糊Wu
A winning handThe general term for a completed, valid winning hand. "Keui wu zo" (佢糊咗) means "they won."
出銃Cheut Chung
"Shot the cannon" — being the shooterThe player who discards the tile that lets someone win. Nobody wants to be the cheut chung player.
流局Lau Guk
A draw — nobody wonAll tiles in the wall have been drawn with no winner. The round ends with no payment.

During gameplay6

碰Pung
"I'm claiming that for a pung!"Call this immediately when someone discards a tile you need to complete a set of three identical tiles. You can claim from any player.
槓Gong
"Kong!"Declare this when you have four identical tiles and want to form a kong, or when claiming a fourth tile from a discard.
上Seung
"I'm claiming that for a chow!"Call this when the player to your left discards a tile you need for a sequence. You can only claim chows from the player directly before you in turn order.
打Daa
"Discard" or "play""Daa mat ye?" (打乜嘢?) means "What did they discard?" or "What are you discarding?"
摸Mo
"Draw" (a tile from the wall)The basic action of drawing a tile on your turn. "Mo pai" (摸牌) = draw a tile.
聽牌Ting Paai
"Ready to call" — one tile away from winningWhen you need just one more tile to complete your hand, you're "ting" (聽) — also called being ready, waiting, or ready to call.

Scoring6

番Faan
The scoring unit"Gei do faan?" (幾多番?) = "How many faan?" The question everyone asks after someone wins. See how Hong Kong Mahjong scoring turns faan into payments.
滿貫Mun Gun
Maximum / Limit handWhen a hand reaches the maximum faan cap. "Mun gun la!" = "It's a limit hand!"
雞糊Gai Wu
Chicken hand — zero faanThe most basic possible win with no scoring patterns. Whether it counts depends on house rules. See chicken hand explained.
清一色Ching Yat Sik
Full Flush — one suit onlyOne of the most satisfying calls. Worth 7 faan and always gets a reaction.
混一色Wan Yat Sik
Mixed One Suit — one suit plus honorsThe reliable 3-faan hand that's the backbone of most winning strategies.
對對和Deui Deui Wu
All Pungs — all sets are tripletsWorth 3 faan. "Deui deui" is often used casually to describe this hand.

Table talk7

食得未？Sik Dak Mei?
"Can you win yet?"Teasing question asked when someone seems close. Can also be genuine curiosity.
好牌Hou Paai
"Good tiles" / "Good hand"Complimenting someone's winning hand, or expressing envy about their starting draw.
爛牌Laan Paai
"Bad tiles" / "Terrible hand"Lamenting your own poor starting hand. A universal mahjong complaint.
快啲啦Faai Di La
"Hurry up!"Gentle (or not so gentle) nudge when someone is taking too long on their turn.
唔好意思M Hou Yi Si
"Sorry" / "Excuse me"Apologetic phrase used when you win a big hand, or when you accidentally reveal a tile.
恭喜Gung Hei
"Congratulations"Said to the winner, sometimes sarcastically when they win a particularly devastating hand against you.
大佬Daai Lou
"Big boss" / "Come on, man"Exasperated expression when someone does something dramatic, like winning a limit hand or shooting you with a big discard.

Frequently asked

Do I need to speak Cantonese to play Hong Kong Mahjong?+
Not at all. Many players use English equivalents or just the basic calls (pung, kong, wu). But knowing the Cantonese adds authenticity and helps you understand what's happening at tables where Cantonese is spoken.
How do I pronounce the tones correctly?+
Cantonese is a tonal language with six tones, which makes pronunciation tricky. For mahjong purposes, the key words (pung, gong, wu, faan) are understood regardless of tonal accuracy. Native speakers will know what you mean from context.
Are these terms used in other Chinese dialects?+
The Mandarin equivalents exist but are pronounced differently. For example, 自摸 is "zi mo" in both Cantonese and Mandarin, but the tones differ. 碰 is "peng" in Mandarin vs "pung" in Cantonese. The written characters are the same.

Sound like a pro at the table — and score like one too.

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