Mahjong is a Chinese table game. Four people usually sit around a table and take turns drawing and throwing down small tiles — little bricks of bone or ivory in old sets, plastic now — to make matching groups, a bit like cards mixed with dominoes.

Mahjong isMahjong是 a Chinese table game一種中式桌上遊戲。Four people usually sit around a table通常四個人圍著一張桌子坐 and take turns drawing and throwing down small tiles輪流抽牌、丟出小牌——little bricks of bone or ivory in old sets, plastic now舊式的是骨頭或象牙做的小磚塊，現在多半是塑膠的——to make matching groups湊成一組一組相配的牌, a bit like cards mixed with dominoes有點像撲克牌混合骨牌。

In Chinese families it is a social game, often loud, often played at New Year or at gatherings, and sometimes for money, which is why some people treat it as a bit naughty.

In Chinese families it is a social game在華人家庭裡，這是一種社交遊戲, often loud常常很吵鬧, often played at New Year or at gatherings常常在過年或聚會時打, and sometimes for money有時候還會賭錢, which is why some people treat it as a bit naughty這也是為什麼有些人覺得它有點頑皮的原因。

When a player completes a winning hand, they may shout the name of the game, the way card players shout “gin.” In English the spelling wobbles: mahjong, mah-jong, mahjongg. They are the same game.

When a player completes a winning hand當一個玩家湊成一副贏牌的時候, they may shout the name of the game他們可能會喊出這個遊戲的名字, the way card players shout "gin."就像打牌的人喊「gin」一樣。In English the spelling wobbles在英文裡拼法不太固定: mahjong, mah-jong, mahjonggmahjong、mah-jong、mahjongg都有人用。They are the same game它們都是同一個遊戲。

You do not need to know Chinese to play, but the culture around it is Chinese. Though actually the older Chinese name is “sparrow”; the tiles’ click was likened to birds, and that nickname stuck before the name 麻將 became the usual one.

You do not need to know Chinese to play你不需要會中文才能玩, but the culture around it is Chinese但圍繞著這個遊戲的文化是中式的。Though actually the older Chinese name is "sparrow"不過實際上，比較古早的中文名字是「麻雀」; the tiles' click was likened to birds牌子碰撞的聲音被拿來比喻鳥叫, and that nickname stuck這個稱呼就已經流傳開來 before the name 麻將 became the usual one在「麻將」變成通用名字之前。