Naki

Naki

Naki (鳴き) is a call or claim used in mahjong to complete a meld using another player’s discard. When you declare naki, you take that discarded tile to form a chi (sequence), pon (triplet), or kan (quad), immediately exposing your meld on the table. This action opens your hand and makes it visible to all players, which affects your eligibility for certain scoring patterns (yaku).

Detailed Explanation

The term “naki” comes from the Japanese verb “naku” (鳴く), literally meaning “to cry out” or “to call.” In mahjong, it represents the vocal and physical action of claiming a discard before it enters the discard pile permanently.

How Naki Works

When a player discards a tile, other players have a brief opportunity to claim it. If you can use that tile to complete a meld, you may declare naki by calling out the appropriate action:

• Chi (chow): Claiming a discard to form a sequence of three consecutive tiles of the same suit
• Pon (pung): Claiming a discard to form a triplet of three identical tiles
• Kan (kong): Claiming a discard to form a quad of four identical tiles (also called minkan when using a discard)

The claiming priority follows a hierarchy: kan claims take precedence over pon claims, which take precedence over chi claims. If multiple players want to claim the same discard, the player closest to the discarder in turn order gets priority.

Opening Your Hand

Once you declare naki, your hand becomes open (exposed). You must place the completed meld face-up on the table in front of you, allowing all players to see your tiles and progress toward completion. An open hand provides strategic information to opponents and limits your options for certain high-scoring yaku.

Restrictions on Yaku

Using naki to form melds restricts your eligibility for several yaku patterns, particularly those requiring a closed hand (concealed hand). For example:

• Menzen Tsumo (concealed hand self-draw) requires your entire hand to remain closed
• Honitsu and Chinitsu (mixed and pure terminal/honor hands) may have reduced point values when your hand is open
• Pinfu (all simples) and other specific patterns may become unavailable

However, some yaku actually benefit from or require open melds, such as Toitoi (all triplets) or Sanankou (three concealed triplets).

Strategic Considerations

Declaring naki involves strategic trade-offs. While it accelerates your progress toward a winning hand by completing melds quickly, it sacrifices the higher point values associated with closed hands and restricts your yaku options. Experienced players carefully evaluate whether claiming a discard is worth these restrictions.

Usage Example

During a hand, the discarder plays a 5-bamboo tile. You have 3-bamboo and 4-bamboo in your hand, allowing you to form a chi (sequence). You declare “chi!” and claim the discard, placing the three tiles face-up on the table. Your hand is now open, and you continue playing toward your winning hand, though you’ve restricted yourself from scoring certain yaku that require a closed hand.

Related Terms

• Chi: A meld consisting of three consecutive tiles of the same suit
• Pon: A meld consisting of three identical tiles
• Kan: A meld consisting of four identical tiles; can be formed from a discard (minkan) or from your concealed hand (ankan)
• Open Hand: A hand with exposed melds visible to all players
• Minkan: A kan formed by claiming another player’s discard
• Meld: Any combination of tiles forming chi, pon, or kan
• Closed Hand: A hand with all tiles concealed, eligible for higher-value yaku
• Yaku: Scoring patterns that determine hand value