Japanese

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Etymology

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From (テン)(パイ) (tenpai, ready hand) + (-ru, verb modifier).[1]

Pronunciation

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Verb

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テンパる (tenparuintransitive godan (stem テンパり (tenpari), past テンパった (tenpatta))

  1. (mahjong) to become tenpai;​ to become one tile away from completion
    (さん)(じゅん)()テンパる
    sanjun-me de tenparu
    close to winning on the third round
  2. (by extension) to be at one's wits' end; to be about to blow one's fuse​

Inflection

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN