Many Foreigners Fall in Love with This Chinese Table Game!

It's reported that mahjong, a popular traditional Chinese tile-based game, could possibly be included in the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games. Is mahjong growing in popularity around the world?

In China，people like playing mahjong most. I always found it amusing in summer when old mahjong addicts are littered all over the sidewalks in China. 

Mahjong trains your memory and your tactical thinking. Beside chess, it is yet another great kind of entertainment. Anyone that enjoys a game of chance mixed with skill and strategy, this is a game for you . Today, let's learn the words about mahjong in Chinese.

生词 words

má jiānɡ

麻   将

  Chinese Mahjong  

wàn

万

We usually use 

the number + wàn

 For example：五万 

tǒnɡ

筒

It is also called bǐng in northern China.

For example：二筒

tiáo 

条

For example：八条

yāo   jī 

幺  鸡

Yī tiáo is very special

It's like a bird. We call it

 幺鸡 

shǎi  zǐ 

色  子

We use the dice to decide where to start each game

mǎ  pái 

码  牌 

Place the mahjong tiles on top and bottom of the 17 tiers. Now we have fully automatic desks to finish the job

xǐ  pái 

洗  牌 

Shuffling the mahjong tiles is called 

I’ve played a fair amount 麻将/ games in Chinese and the only drawback is that if you’re not already quite good at the game, it’s hard to chat and play at the same time. Some people also play ridiculously fast, so if you’re new to the game, you might need to ask them to slow down. If you want to familiarise yourself with the game on your own, there are plenty of computer programs and smart phone apps out there.

If I’ve missed anything important, please leave your message❤.

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