Tiles and terms
How to Read Mahjong Numbers
Quick answer
Mahjong numbers on the craks are written in Chinese. The top character is the number, from 一 (1) to 九 (9). The big character under it is 萬 (wan), which means 10,000 and marks the crak suit. On dots and bams, you just count the circles or sticks. American sets also add regular numbers.
At a glance
- Suit with Chinese numbers: craks
- Numbers on suit tiles: 1 to 9
- Character under every crak: 萬 (wan), which means 10,000
- Number tiles in a set: 108
- American tiles: add regular numbers too
How do you read mahjong numbers?
Look at the top character on a crak tile. That character is the number.
| Chinese | Number |
|---|---|
| 一 | 1 |
| 二 | 2 |
| 三 | 3 |
| 四 | 4 |
| 五 | 5 |
| 六 | 6 |
| 七 | 7 |
| 八 | 8 |
| 九 | 9 |
The first 3 are the easiest. 一, 二 and 三 are just 1, 2 and 3 lines.
Dots and bams are simpler still. Count the circles or the sticks to get the number. The 1 bam is the one odd tile, since it usually shows a bird. See mahjong suits for more on each suit.
American sets also add regular numbers to the suit tiles. So you can check yourself as you learn.
What does the big character under the number mean?
The big character is 萬 (wan), and it means 10,000. You will find it at the bottom of every crak.
That makes it a handy marker. If a tile has 萬 on it, the tile is a crak, not a dot or a bam.
The 萬 is the same on all 9 craks. So you only need to read the top character to know the number.
How can you learn the numbers fast?
Practice with your own tiles and the table above. These steps help.
- Pull out the craks. Find every tile with 萬 at the bottom.
- Start with 1, 2 and 3. Look for one, two or three lines on top.
- Learn 4 to 9 next. Check each tile against the table.
- Put them in order. Line up 1 to 9. You should have 4 tiles of each number.
- Mix them and try again. Turn them face down. Flip one at a time and say its number.
What other characters are on mahjong tiles?
The winds and two of the dragons also show Chinese characters. Here is what each one means.
| Character | Tile | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 東 | East wind | East |
| 南 | South wind | South |
| 西 | West wind | West |
| 北 | North wind | North |
| 中 | Red dragon | Center |
| 發 | Green dragon | Roughly "get rich" |
On American tiles, the winds also show a letter: E, S, W or N. Learn more about mahjong winds and mahjong dragons.
Want to practice on Chinese tiles?
Our Chinese sets have 144 tiles for Chinese and Hong Kong play.
Questions people ask
Is there a zero tile in mahjong?
No suit has a 0. In American play, the white dragon stands for zero instead. It is used that way in year hands, such as 2026.
What do 2468, 13579 and 369 mean?
They are names of sections on the yearly card from the National Mah Jongg League. That card lists the winning hands for American mahjong. Our guide to the mahjong card shows how to read it.
How many number tiles are in a set?
There are 108. Each of the 3 suits has 9 numbers, with 4 tiles of each. That makes 36 tiles per suit.