Hai (Tiles) - The Building Blocks of Mahjong

What is Hai?

Hai means the tiles used in mahjong. Made from plastic, ivory, or bamboo, these rectangular pieces have numbers, characters, or patterns on their face. Mahjong uses 136 tiles total, combining them to form winning hands.

The character “牌” comes from Chinese, read as “Hai” in Japanese. In English, they’re called “Mahjong tiles.”

Tile Composition (136 Total)

Type	Contents	Count
Suupai (Number)	Manzu, Pinzu, Souzu (1-9 each)	108 (4 each × 27 types)
Jihai (Honor)	Winds + Dragons	28 (4 each × 7 types)
Total	34 types	136 tiles

Number Tiles (Suupai)

Manzu (Characters):
One through Nine Man (一萬 - 九萬)

Pinzu (Dots):
One through Nine Pin (一筒 - 九筒)

Souzu (Bamboos):
One through Nine Sou (一索 - 九索)

Honor Tiles (Jihai)

Category	Tiles	Readings
Wind tiles	East, South, West, North	Ton, Nan, Sha, Pei
Dragon tiles	White, Green, Red	Haku, Hatsu, Chun

Reading Tile Names

Chinese Readings

Numbers:
1=Ii, 2=Ryan, 3=San, 4=Suu, 5=Uu
6=Rou, 7=Chii, 8=Paa, 9=Kyuu

Suits:
Man/Wan (characters), Pin (dots), Sou (bamboo)

Examples:
- "Ii-wan" (1-man)
- "Ryan-pin" (2-pin)
- "San-sou" (3-sou)

Identifying Similar Tiles

Tiles	How to Distinguish
1-sou	Has a bird design
8-pin vs 9-pin	Different dot arrangements
Hatsu vs Chun	Green vs Red color

Terminal vs Simple Tiles

Category	Tiles	Features
Terminal (Tanpai)	1 and 9 of number suits	Hard to use but needed for certain hands
Simple (Chunchanpai)	2-8 of number suits	Easy to use, many combinations
Yaochuu tiles	1, 9, and honors	Used in special hands

Tile Materials

Plastic:
- Most common
- Easy to maintain
- Light sound

Ivory:
- Premium quality
- Nice feel
- Rich sound

Bamboo:
- Traditional
- Unique texture
- Ages over time

Standard Tile Dimensions

Typical size:
- Height: ~26mm
- Width: ~19mm
- Thickness: ~16mm
- Weight: ~15g

Special Tiles

Akadora (Red Dora)

Usually one each of 5-man, 5-pin, 5-sou colored red
Worth 1 han just for having it
Number varies by rule set

Flower Tiles (Hanapai)

Not used in Japanese mahjong
Used in Chinese mahjong
Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter, Plum/Orchid/Bamboo/Chrysanthemum

Tile Handling Etiquette

Basic Manners

Shuffling (Senpai)
- Use both hands in circular motion
- Keep tiles face down
- Moderate noise level
Building walls
- 17 tiles × 2 levels
- Align neatly
- Quick and accurate
Discarding
- Place in center area
- Don’t slam down
- Never face down

Tile Care

Daily care:
- Wipe with dry cloth
- Store in proper case
- Avoid direct sunlight

When dirty:
- Wash gently with mild soap
- Dry thoroughly
- Alcohol sanitizing OK

Common Mistakes

Mispronunciation
- Manzu: “Manzu” or “Wanzu”
- Pinzu: “Pinzu” (not “Tsutsuji”)
- Souzu: “Souzu” (not “Sakuji”)
Counting confusion
- Chinese: Ii, Ryan, San…
- Japanese: Ichi, Ni, San…
- Either OK but don’t mix
Similar tile confusion
- 1-sou has a bird
- 8-pin and 9-pin differ in pattern
- Hatsu is green, Chun is red
Handling issues
- Handle gently (loud = rude)
- Never turn face down (anti-cheating)
- Shuffle with both hands

Regional Variations

Region	Features
Japanese	Red dora, no flower tiles
Chinese	Flower tiles, different scoring
American	Joker tiles
European	Similar to Japanese

Suupai: Number tiles 1-9
Jihai: Honor tiles
Tehai: Player’s hand
Sutehai: Discarded tiles
Yamahai: Tiles in the wall

Summary

Hai (tiles) are the fundamental tools of mahjong, comprising 136 tiles (34 types × 4 each). Divided into number tiles (manzu, pinzu, souzu) and honor tiles (winds and dragons), each has distinctive designs.

Beginners should start by learning each tile’s name and appearance. Pay special attention to distinguishing similar tiles and learning correct pronunciations. Handle tiles with care and proper manners to enjoy mahjong pleasantly.