Mahjong Tiles: A Guide to All 144
Mahjong tiles look complicated at first, but there are only a few families. Once you know them you'll spot matches much faster in Mahjong Solitaire. Every tile here is kawu's own drawing. In the corner you'll find a number (1–9) or a letter, so you can play without reading Chinese.
The three suits (108 tiles)
Each suit runs from 1 to 9, with four copies of each tile.
Characters (萬 wàn)
Each tile shows a Chinese number above the character 萬 ("ten thousand"). The corner number tells you which one it is.
- 1 of Characters一萬
- 2 of Characters二萬
- 3 of Characters三萬
- 4 of Characters四萬
- 5 of Characters五萬
- 6 of Characters六萬
- 7 of Characters七萬
- 8 of Characters八萬
- 9 of Characters九萬
Bamboo (條 tiáo)
Count the sticks. The 1 of Bamboo is drawn differently in most sets; ours is a single tall stalk.
- 1 of Bamboo
- 2 of Bamboo
- 3 of Bamboo
- 4 of Bamboo
- 5 of Bamboo
- 6 of Bamboo
- 7 of Bamboo
- 8 of Bamboo
- 9 of Bamboo
Dots (筒 tǒng)
Count the circles; they're often called "coins" or "circles".
- 1 of Dots
- 2 of Dots
- 3 of Dots
- 4 of Dots
- 5 of Dots
- 6 of Dots
- 7 of Dots
- 8 of Dots
- 9 of Dots
Honour tiles (28 tiles)
Winds
East (東 dōng), South (南 nán), West (西 xī) and North (北 běi), four of each. The corner letter is E, S, W or N.
- East Wind東
- South Wind南
- West Wind西
- North Wind北
Dragons
Red (中 zhōng, "centre"), Green (發 fā, "prosper") and White (白 bái, "white", often a blank or framed tile), four of each. The corner letters are C, F and W.
- Red Dragon中
- Green Dragon發
- White Dragon白
Bonus tiles (8 tiles)
There is one of each Flower and Season tile. In Mahjong Solitaire any Flower matches any Flower, and any Season matches any Season.
Flowers
Plum (梅), orchid (蘭), bamboo (竹) and chrysanthemum (菊), numbered 1–4.
- Plum (Flower)梅
- Orchid (Flower)蘭
- Bamboo (Flower)竹
- Chrysanthemum (Flower)菊
Seasons
Spring (春), summer (夏), autumn (秋) and winter (冬), numbered 1–4.
- Spring (Season)春
- Summer (Season)夏
- Autumn (Season)秋
- Winter (Season)冬
Quick reference
| Family | Tiles | Copies | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Characters 1–9 | 9 | 4 each | the same tile |
| Bamboo 1–9 | 9 | 4 each | the same tile |
| Dots 1–9 | 9 | 4 each | the same tile |
| Winds | 4 | 4 each | the same wind |
| Dragons | 3 | 4 each | the same dragon |
| Flowers | 4 | 1 each | any Flower |
| Seasons | 4 | 1 each | any Season |
Now try it: play Mahjong Solitaire or read the rules.
Frequently asked questions
How many tiles are in a Mahjong set?
144 in the common Chinese set used for Mahjong Solitaire: 108 suit tiles, 16 Winds, 12 Dragons, 4 Flowers and 4 Seasons. Some sets add jokers or extra flowers; kawu doesn't use them.
What does the 1 of Bamboo look like?
In many traditional sets the 1 of Bamboo is a bird, often a sparrow or peacock, instead of a single stick. kawu draws its own simple design: one tall bamboo stalk with leaves.
What is the White Dragon?
The White Dragon (白, bái) is usually a blank tile or a tile with a blue frame. kawu draws a blue frame and marks it W in the corner.
Last updated 2026-10-17