All 42 Mahjong Tiles Explained: A Visual Guide for Beginners
A standard Hong Kong Mahjong set has 144 tiles made up of 42 unique designs. If you’re new to mahjong, the tiles can look overwhelming — but they’re actually quite logical once you understand the three categories.
Let’s break down every tile you’ll encounter.
The Three Categories
- Suited tiles (108 tiles) — Three suits, numbered 1-9, four copies each
- Honor tiles (28 tiles) — Winds and dragons, four copies each
- Bonus tiles (8 tiles) — Flowers and seasons, one copy each
Suited Tiles
There are three suits, each numbered 1 through 9. Every number appears four times in the set.
Characters / 萬子 (Wan)
These tiles show Chinese numerals with the character 萬 (meaning “ten thousand”) at the bottom.
- 1萬 through 9萬 — The number is written in Chinese characters
- Easy to identify by the 萬 character on every tile
- Also called “man” tiles or “cracks”
Dots / 筒子 (Tong)
These tiles show circles (dots) representing the number.
- 1筒 through 9筒 — Count the circles to know the number
- 1 Dot is a single large circle, often decorated
- Also called “circles” or “balls”
Bamboo / 索子 (Sok)
These tiles show bamboo sticks representing the number.
- 2索 through 9索 — Count the bamboo sticks
- 1索 is special — it shows a bird (sparrow) instead of a single stick
- Also called “sticks” or “bams”
Terminals vs. Simples
Within each suit, tiles are classified as:
- Terminals (么九) — The 1s and 9s of each suit (six unique tiles)
- Simples (中張) — The 2 through 8 of each suit (twenty-one unique tiles)
This distinction matters for scoring — several faan patterns specifically require terminals.
Honor Tiles
Honor tiles have no numbers. They come in two types:
Wind Tiles / 風牌
Four wind directions, four copies each (16 tiles total):
- East / 東 — The dealer’s wind in the first round
- South / 南 — Second round wind
- West / 西 — Third round wind
- North / 北 — Fourth round wind
Wind tiles are important for scoring:
- A triplet of your seat wind = 1 faan
- A triplet of the round wind = 1 faan
- These can stack — if you’re East in the East round, a triplet of East = 2 faan
Dragon Tiles / 三元牌
Three types, four copies each (12 tiles total):
- Red Dragon / 中 (Chung) — Red character meaning “center” or “hit”
- Green Dragon / 發 (Fat) — Green character meaning “prosperity” (as in “fat choy”)
- White Dragon / 白 (Baak) — Blank or framed white tile
Each dragon triplet is worth 1 faan. Collect all three triplets for Big Three Dragons (大三元) — worth 6 faan!
Bonus Tiles
These tiles are drawn but set aside immediately — they don’t form part of your hand but give bonus faan.
Flower Tiles / 花牌
Four tiles, numbered 1-4:
- Plum / 梅
- Orchid / 蘭
- Chrysanthemum / 菊
- Bamboo / 竹
Season Tiles / 季牌
Four tiles, numbered 1-4:
- Spring / 春
- Summer / 夏
- Autumn / 秋
- Winter / 冬
How Bonus Tiles Score
- Each flower/season that matches your seat number = bonus faan
- All four flowers = 3 faan bonus
- All four seasons = 3 faan bonus
- All eight bonus tiles = instant win (in some rule sets)
Seat numbers: East = 1, South = 2, West = 3, North = 4.
Tile Count Summary
| Category | Unique Tiles | Copies Each | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Characters (萬) | 9 | 4 | 36 |
| Dots (筒) | 9 | 4 | 36 |
| Bamboo (索) | 9 | 4 | 36 |
| Winds (風) | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| Dragons (元) | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| Flowers (花) | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Seasons (季) | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Total | 42 | 144 |
Tips for Recognizing Tiles
- Look at the bottom — Characters always have 萬, dots have circles, bamboo has sticks
- The bird is 1 Bamboo — The most confusing tile for beginners. If it has a bird, it’s 1索
- Dragons are the simplest — Red (中), Green (發), White (blank/framed)
- Winds have one character each — 東南西北 (East South West North)
- Use the AI scanner — TileBuddy can identify all 42 tile types from a photo
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tiles are in a mahjong set?
A standard Hong Kong Mahjong set has 144 tiles — 108 suited tiles (three suits of 1-9, four copies each), 28 honor tiles (winds and dragons), and 8 bonus tiles (flowers and seasons).
What are the red tiles in mahjong?
The red tile is the Red Dragon (中, Chung), one of three dragon tiles in mahjong. It features a red Chinese character meaning “center” or “hit.” A triplet of Red Dragons is worth 1 faan.
Do you need flower and season tiles to play?
No. Flower and season tiles are optional bonus tiles. Many casual groups remove them for a faster game, leaving 136 tiles instead of the full 144.
What’s the difference between suited and honor tiles?
Suited tiles belong to three numbered suits (Bamboo, Dots, Characters) and can form sequences. Honor tiles (Winds and Dragons) have no numbers and can only form triplets or pairs, never sequences.
New to mahjong? Download TileBuddy for a built-in wiki with every tile and hand pattern, plus AI-powered tile recognition.