Etymology

Borrowed from JapaneseCategory:English terms borrowed from Japanese#YAKUCategory:English terms derived from Japanese#YAKU 役 (yaku).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjɑː.kuː/Category:English 2-syllable words#YAKUCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#YAKU
• Rhymes: -ɑːkuːCategory:Rhymes:English/ɑːkuː#YAKU

Noun

yaku (plural yaku or yakus)Category:English lemmas#YAKUCategory:English nouns#YAKUCategory:English countable nouns#YAKUCategory:English nouns with irregular plurals#YAKUCategory:English indeclinable nouns#YAKUCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. (Japanese mahjongCategory:en:Mahjong#YAKU, hanafudaCategory:en:Hanafuda#YAKU) A condition that scores points when met, usually in the form of a specific combination of tiles or cards.
   • 1892, Rossetsu Uchiyama, The Game of "Hana-awase": Japanese Cards‎, page 10:

     There are certain combinations of hands called “Yaku,” which, if held by a player, either among his tricks or in his hand, entitle him to certain payments from the other players.

     Category:English terms with quotations#YAKU

   • 2006, Israel A. S. Yost, “On the Border” (chapter 11), in Combat Chaplain: The Personal Story of the WWII Chaplain of the Japanese American 100th Battalion, University of Hawaii Press, →ISBN, page 215:

     It's a lot of fun for me as I'm just getting to know all the combinations (of three cards each) for yaku, which means the other fellow must subtract 50 from his score.

     Category:English terms with quotations#YAKU

   • 2012, Jelte Rep, “Chapter 5: Japan”, in Jelte Rep, transl., Great Mahjong Book: History, Lore, and Play, Tuttle Publishing, →ISBN, page 112:

     Yakus determine whether you can make a mahjong.

     Category:English terms with quotations#YAKU

   • 2015, Ritz Kobayashi, “Encounter” (chapter 1), in anonymous translator, Saki, volume 1, Yen Press, →ISBN, page 9:

     I'm still learning all the yaku though!

     Category:English terms with quotations#YAKU

   • 2015, Scott D. Miller, “Hand Pattern Overview”, in Riichi Mahjong: The Ultimate Guide to the Japanese Game Taking the World by Storm, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 104:

     Of course, since the hand is open, it doesn't earn the 1-han yaku for a true Pinfu hand.

     Category:English terms with quotations#YAKU

   • 2017, Jason Johnson & Antonietta Fazio-Johnson, “Matching Flowers” (chapter 5), in Hanafuda Games: Hanami Edition, IndianWolf Studios LLC, →ISBN, page 29:

     The wisteria ribbon is used in two yaku sets. This is allowed because a player may use the same card to score from more than one yaku category.

     Category:English terms with quotations#YAKU

   • 2017, Akiko Higashimura, “Translation Notes”, in anonymous translator, Princess Jellyfish 6, Kodansha Comics, →ISBN, page 349:

     The particular hanafuda game they're playing here is called Koi-Koi, and Banba just called the name of the game to keep going for another yaku card combination beyond whatever yaku she already formed.

     Category:English terms with quotations#YAKU

   • 2018, Koya Ihara, Shohei Kato, “Neuro-Evolutionary Approach to Multi-objective Optimization in One-Player Mahjong”, in Advances in Network-Based Information Systems, Springer International Publishing, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 501:

     To earn a high score and therefore complete yaku with a high rate, we expect that inputting features regarding these yaku into the networks will improve average scores.

     Category:English terms with quotations#YAKU

   • 2020 February 26, KML Competition Rules‎, Korean Mahjong League, archived from the original on 17 July 2025, 2.5.2 Mahjong on Self-Draw (tsumo):

     If the player did not keep the winning tile apart from the rest of the hand (if other players cannot see which was the winning tile), the lowest yaku and fu which can be calculated from that hand are applied.

     Category:English terms with quotations#YAKU

     Category:Quotation templates to be cleaned

Pronoun

yakuCategory:Bakumpai lemmas#YAKUCategory:Bakumpai pronouns#YAKUCategory:Bakumpai entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. I

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-PolynesianCategory:Banggai terms inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian#YAKUCategory:Banggai terms derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian#YAKU *(i-)aku, from Proto-AustronesianCategory:Banggai terms inherited from Proto-Austronesian#YAKUCategory:Banggai terms derived from Proto-Austronesian#YAKU *(i-)aku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ja.ku/Category:Banggai terms with IPA pronunciation#YAKU

Pronoun

yakuCategory:Banggai lemmas#YAKUCategory:Banggai pronouns#YAKUCategory:Banggai entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. I (personal pronoun)
2. me (direct object of a verb)
3. me (object of a preposition)
4. me (indirect object of a verb)

Romanization

yakuCategory:Japanese non-lemma forms#YAKUCategory:Japanese romanizations#YAKUCategory:Japanese terms with non-redundant manual script codes#YAKUCategory:Japanese entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. Rōmaji transcription of やく
2. Rōmaji transcription of ヤク

Alternative forms

• aku
• iaku
• i aku
• ako
• yako

Etymology

From Proto-AustronesianCategory:Kapampangan terms inherited from Proto-Austronesian#YAKUCategory:Kapampangan terms derived from Proto-Austronesian#YAKU *si and Proto-PhilippineCategory:Kapampangan terms inherited from Proto-Philippine#YAKUCategory:Kapampangan terms derived from Proto-Philippine#YAKU *akú, from Proto-Malayo-PolynesianCategory:Kapampangan terms inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian#YAKUCategory:Kapampangan terms derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian#YAKU *(i-)aku, from Proto-AustronesianCategory:Kapampangan terms inherited from Proto-Austronesian#YAKUCategory:Kapampangan terms derived from Proto-Austronesian#YAKU *(i-)aku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjaku/ [ˈja.xu]Category:Kapampangan terms with IPA pronunciation#YAKU
• Hyphenation: a‧ku

Pronoun

yakuCategory:Kapampangan lemmas#YAKUCategory:Kapampangan pronouns#YAKUCategory:Kapampangan entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. First-person singular absolutive independent pronoun; I, me

Pronoun

yakuCategory:Lindu lemmas#YAKUCategory:Lindu pronouns#YAKUCategory:Lindu entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. I; me

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Category:Requests for pronunciation in Ngaju entries#YAKU

Pronoun

yakuCategory:Ngaju lemmas#YAKUCategory:Ngaju pronouns#YAKUCategory:Ngaju entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. I

Alternative forms

• jaku

Etymology

From Proto-Bungku-TolakiCategory:Padoe terms inherited from Proto-Bungku-Tolaki#YAKUCategory:Padoe terms derived from Proto-Bungku-Tolaki#YAKU *ku, from Proto-Malayo-PolynesianCategory:Padoe terms inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian#YAKUCategory:Padoe terms derived from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian#YAKU *(i-)aku, from Proto-AustronesianCategory:Padoe terms inherited from Proto-Austronesian#YAKUCategory:Padoe terms derived from Proto-Austronesian#YAKU *(i-)aku.

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Category:Requests for pronunciation in Padoe entries#YAKU

Pronoun

yakuCategory:Padoe lemmas#YAKUCategory:Padoe pronouns#YAKUCategory:Padoe entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. I (personal pronoun)
2. me (direct object of a verb)
3. me (object of a preposition)
4. me (indirect object of a verb)
5. my (belonging to me)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-AustronesianCategory:Pazeh terms inherited from Proto-Austronesian#YAKUCategory:Pazeh terms derived from Proto-Austronesian#YAKU *(i-)aku.

Pronoun

yakuCategory:Pazeh lemmas#YAKUCategory:Pazeh pronouns#YAKUCategory:Pazeh entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. I

See also

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈja.kʊ/Category:Quechua terms with IPA pronunciation#YAKU

Noun

yakuCategory:Quechua lemmas#YAKUCategory:Quechua nouns#YAKUCategory:Quechua entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. water

   Synonym: unu

   • 2012, Languages of the Amazon, →ISBN:

     chay-chru lurin yaku-kuna-si llalla-ku-n-mi

     that-LOC Lurin water-PL-also be.salty-REF-3-DIR.EV

     Even the water around Lurin is salty. [I know because I tasted it.]

     Category:Quechua terms with quotations#YAKU

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-AustronesianCategory:Thao terms inherited from Proto-Austronesian#YAKUCategory:Thao terms derived from Proto-Austronesian#YAKU *(i-)aku.

Pronoun

yakuCategory:Thao lemmas#YAKUCategory:Thao pronouns#YAKUCategory:Thao entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. I (personal pronoun)

See also

Pronoun

yakuCategory:Totoli lemmas#YAKUCategory:Totoli pronouns#YAKUCategory:Totoli entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. alternative form of aku

Noun

yakuCategory:Yámana lemmas#YAKUCategory:Yámana nouns#YAKUCategory:Yámana entries with incorrect language header#YAKUCategory:Pages with entries#YAKUCategory:Pages with 13 entries#YAKU

1. wood