# Meet the tiles (Hong Kong mahjong, lesson 1)

All 144 tiles, and how to tell them apart. Interactive version: https://learnmahjongquick.com/learn-hong-kong-mahjong/meet-the-tiles

### 1. There are 144 tiles

They come in 6 kinds. You'll meet each one.

- 5 Dot: Dots
- 1 Bam: Bams
- 5 Crak: Craks
- East: Winds
- Red Dragon: Dragons
- Flower 1: Flowers

### 2. Dots (1 of 6)

Dots are one of 3 suits. A suit has tiles numbered 1 to 9. There are 4 of each tile.

- 1 Dot
- 2 Dot
- 3 Dot
- 4 Dot
- 5 Dot
- 6 Dot
- 7 Dot
- 8 Dot
- 9 Dot

### 3. Bams (2 of 6)

Short for bamboo. Count the sticks or read the corner. The 1 Bam is a bird.

- 1 Bam
- 2 Bam
- 3 Bam
- 4 Bam
- 5 Bam
- 6 Bam
- 7 Bam
- 8 Bam
- 9 Bam

### 4. Craks (3 of 6)

Short for characters. Read the number in the corner.

- 1 Crak
- 2 Crak
- 3 Crak
- 4 Crak
- 5 Crak
- 6 Crak
- 7 Crak
- 8 Crak
- 9 Crak

### 5. Which suit is this?

- Q: What is this? [6 Dot] A: Dots
- Q: What is this? [4 Bam] A: Bams
- Q: What is this? [2 Crak] A: Craks
- Q: What is this? [1 Bam] A: Bams
- Q: What is this? [8 Crak] A: Craks

### 6. Winds (4 of 6)

East, South, West and North. Read the letter in the corner. There are 4 of each.

- East
- South
- West
- North

### 7. Dragons (5 of 6)

Red, Green and White. There are 4 of each.

- Red Dragon: Red Dragon
- Green Dragon: Green Dragon
- White Dragon: White Dragon

Note: Winds and dragons are called honor tiles. They have no numbers.

### 8. Bonus tiles (6 of 6)

There are 4 flowers and 4 seasons. Each one is different, numbered 1 to 4.

- Flowers (Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, Bamboo): Flower 1, Flower 2, Flower 3, Flower 4
- Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter): Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, Season 4

Note: These are bonus tiles. They are not part of your hand. They can add to your score. If you know American mahjong: there are no jokers.

### 9. Quiz: Name that tile

- Q: What is this? [5 Bam] A: 5 Bam
- Q: What is this? [South] A: South
- Q: What is this? [White Dragon] A: White Dragon
- Q: What is this? [7 Crak] A: 7 Crak
- Q: What kind of tile is this? [Flower 3] A: A bonus tile
- Q: How many of each suit tile are there? [3 Dot, 3 Dot, 3 Dot, 3 Dot] A: 4

## What this lesson teaches

- There are 144 tiles: Dots, Bams and Craks, numbered 1 to 9, 4 of each.
- Winds and dragons are honor tiles. They have no numbers.
- Flowers and seasons are bonus tiles. There are no jokers.