Mahjong Tile Names and Meanings: A Visual Guide

Learning the names of mahjong tiles is the first step to playing. Here is every tile in an American mahjong set and what it means.

Bams (bamboo)

Bams show bamboo sticks and run from 1 to 9. The 1 Bam is traditionally drawn as a bird, which surprises many new players. On the American card, bams are usually shown in green.

Craks (characters)

Craks carry a number and the Chinese character for "ten thousand". They run 1 to 9 and are shown in red on the card.

Dots (circles)

Dots show circles, 1 to 9, and appear in blue on the card.

Winds

North, East, West and South. Players often call them by their letters: N, E, W, S. There are four of each.

Dragons

• Red Dragon: pairs with craks.
• Green Dragon: pairs with bams.
• White Dragon ("Soap"): pairs with dots and is used as zero in year hands such as 2026.

Flowers

American sets have 8 flower tiles. They are treated as one group, so any flower matches any other flower.

Jokers

Jokers are wild tiles used only in groups of three or more. They can't be used in singles or pairs, and a discarded joker can't be called.

Now that you know the tiles, learn how to play mahjong step by step, or find a set you love in floral mahjong tiles and pink mahjong tiles.