手(て)牌(はい)

てはい
noun
hand tiles (mahjong)
leisure
1. the tiles held in one's hand; one's hand
In mahjong, the set of tiles a player holds and manages during play, kept hidden from opponents until they are used or discarded.
手(て)牌(はい)を整理(せいり)する。
To arrange one's hand tiles.
Don't show your hand to your opponents.
いい手(て)牌(はい)がそろったので、勝負(しょうぶ)に出(で)ることにした。
My hand came together nicely, so I decided to go for the win.

Compound of 手(て) (hand) + 牌(はい) (tile). In mahjong, the tiles a player holds and reorganizes as the game goes on.

Common collocations

Mainly a mahjong term.