Charada China in English: The 36 Original Cuban Bolita Numbers
The charada china is the original Chinese version of the Cuban charada: a list of just 36 figures — horse, butterfly, sailor, cat, nun and so on — that Chinese laborers brought to Cuba in the 19th century. Each figure was drawn on the body of a man, and players bet on which one the banker had secretly “hung” in a cloth. Cubans later stretched the list to 100 numbers, but the first 36 of today’s Cuban charada still come from it.
Below are all 36 figures in English, how they differ from the modern list, how the original game worked, and where it came from.
Updated October 9, 2026
The Charada China at a Glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | The original 36-figure Chinese lottery chart behind Cuba’s charada |
| Chinese name | Zìhuā (字花), rendered by the ethnographer Stewart Culin as “word blossoming”; written in Cuba as chiffá or rifa chiffá |
| How many numbers? | 36, often called bichos (“critters”) in Cuba |
| How it reached Cuba | With Chinese contract laborers, who began arriving in the mid-19th century |
| How it was played | A banker hid one figure in a cloth and gave out a riddle; players bet on which figure it was |
| Payout | 30 times the bet, according to both US and Cuban accounts |
| Today | Numbers 1–36 of the Cuban charada still follow it, with a few changes |
The 36 Numbers of the Charada China
Cuban sources agree on the 36 original figures. The table gives each one in Spanish and English, next to the main meaning the same number has in today’s 100-number Cuban charada. Most are identical; the differences are marked in bold.
| No. | Charada china (Spanish) | In English | Today’s Cuban charada |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caballo | Horse | Horse |
| 2 | Mariposa | Butterfly | Butterfly |
| 3 | Marinero | Sailor | Sailor |
| 4 | Gato boca | Cat’s mouth | Cat |
| 5 | Monja | Nun | Nun |
| 6 | Jicotea | Turtle | Turtle |
| 7 | Caracol | Snail | Snail |
| 8 | Muerto | Dead man | Dead man |
| 9 | Elefante | Elephant | Elephant |
| 10 | Pescado grande | Big fish | Big fish |
| 11 | Gallo | Rooster | Rooster |
| 12 | Ramera | Prostitute | Prostitute |
| 13 | Pavo real | Peacock | Peacock |
| 14 | Gato tigre | Tiger cat | Cemetery (tiger cat survives as a secondary meaning) |
| 15 | Perro | Dog | Dog |
| 16 | Toro | Bull | Bull |
| 17 | Luna | Moon | Saint Lazarus (moon survives as a secondary meaning) |
| 18 | Pescado chico | Small fish | Small fish |
| 19 | Lombriz | Earthworm | Earthworm |
| 20 | Gato fino | Fine cat | Fine cat |
| 21 | Majá | Cuban boa | Cuban boa |
| 22 | Sapo | Toad | Toad |
| 23 | Vapor | Steamship | Steamship |
| 24 | Paloma | Dove | Dove |
| 25 | Piedra fina | Precious stone | Precious stone |
| 26 | Anguila | Eel | Eel |
| 27 | Avispa | Wasp | Wasp |
| 28 | Chivo | Goat | Goat |
| 29 | Ratón | Mouse | Mouse |
| 30 | Camarón | Shrimp | Shrimp |
| 31 | Venado | Deer | Deer |
| 32 | Cochino | Pig | Pig |
| 33 | Tiñosa | Turkey vulture | Turkey vulture |
| 34 | Mono | Monkey | Monkey |
| 35 | Araña | Spider | Spider |
| 36 | Cachimba | Pipe | Pipe |
The list follows the version kept by EcuRed (in Spanish), which matches the one published by Árbol Invertido (in Spanish). The two big changes — 14 and 17 — show how the list kept evolving in Cuba: the tiger cat gave way to the cemetery, and the moon to Saint Lazarus, one of the island’s most venerated saints. For numbers 37 to 100 and their meanings, see our full Cuban charada guide.
The “Chino de la Charada”: The Man Covered in Numbers
The most famous image of the game is the chino de la charada: a drawing of a Chinese man whose body is covered with the 36 figures, each one on a different part of him.
It wasn’t decoration. It was a tool for reading dreams. In 1894, American ethnographer Stewart Culin described the same kind of chart among Chinese immigrants in New York and Philadelphia in an article for the Overland Monthly: a rough woodcut of a man, about 8 by 9 inches, entirely covered with the 36 names. If a player dreamed about a part of the body, he bet on the name written on that part.
French sociologist Roger Caillois, in his classic book on games, described the Cuban version the same way: a figure of a Chinese man divided into 36 parts, each with its own sign — an animal, a person or an allegory, according to the excerpt reproduced by Hotel Telégrafo (in Spanish).
We didn’t find a reliable source that gives a single, agreed part-by-part map of the body, so we don’t publish one here.
How the Original Game Worked
The charada china was played very differently from today’s bolita. There were no Florida drawings and no two-digit numbers. Everything turned on a hidden figure and a riddle.
- The banker picked a figure. In Cuba, Caillois writes, the banker drew one of the figures at random and wrapped it in a piece of cloth in full view of the players. Cubans called this colgar el animal, “hanging the animal.”
- A riddle went out. Players got a clue, a short verse or enigma, that hinted at the hidden figure. In the American version Culin documented, a writer had to compose a new ode for each day’s drawings, with one couplet for the afternoon draw and another for the evening.
- Runners collected the bets. Collectors carried the riddle around the neighborhood and took bets on the 36 figures.
- The figure was revealed. At the set hour, the cloth came off. In New York, Culin reports, the winning name was kept rolled in black cloth on the wall until the manager unrolled it.
- Winners were paid 30 to 1. Culin and Caillois give the same payout: 30 times the stake. With 36 possible figures, the banker kept the margin.
The riddle is where the name comes from. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a charada was a word puzzle printed in Spanish and French newspapers. In Cuba, the guessing game and the Chinese lottery fused into one word.
Partners, Pawns and Gangs
Old Cuban charts added layers of meaning that most players have forgotten. A newspaper clipping from the early 20th century, kept in the archives of the Havana City Historian’s Office and described by Árbol Invertido, lists a compañero (partner) and a peón (pawn) for some numbers. Number 1, the horse, has the precious stone (25) as its partner and the peacock (13) as its pawn. The same clipping groups figures into seven cuadrillas, or gangs: merchants, gentlemen, priests, tough guys, drunks, beggars and women.
That structure echoes the Chinese original. Culin wrote that the 36 names on the American charts were sorted into nine categories, among them successful merchants, beggars and a nun.
Where the Charada China Came From
The game’s Chinese name is zìhuā (字花), which Cubans turned into chiffá. EcuRed describes it as hugely popular in southern China before it was banned in the People’s Republic, and still widespread in Chinese communities in Southeast Asia.
It reached Cuba through one of the darkest chapters of the island’s history. Starting in the late 1840s, Spanish Cuba imported Chinese contract laborers, known as culíes (coolies), most of them to work on sugar and tobacco plantations. According to the US National Archives, some 124,813 Chinese laborers were brought to Cuba between 1848 and 1874, mostly on eight-year contracts paying $4 a month, and as many as half did not survive their indenture.
Havana’s Barrio Chino became the best-known home of their lottery. Over time, Cubans of every background adopted it, kept the 36 figures and added 64 more. That’s how a Cantonese guessing game became the code that every Cuban still uses to turn a dream into a number.
The game traveled in other directions too. Culin found it in Chinese shops on the US East Coast in the 1890s and compared it with similar lotteries in Singapore, Johore and Siam, which also paid 30 for 1. EcuRed also points to an Italian cousin: the smorfia napoletana, Naples’ own dream-to-number book.
The Charada China in Cuban Slang
Some of the 36 figures never left everyday speech. In Havana street slang, EcuRed notes, banknotes are named after the charada number that matches their value:
| Slang word | Charada number | Means a bill of… |
|---|---|---|
| Monja (nun) | 5 | 5 pesos |
| Pescado (fish) | 10 | 10 pesos |
| Tibor (porcelain jar) | 20 | 20 pesos |
| Piedra fina (precious stone) | 25 | 25 pesos |
| Camarón (shrimp) | 30 | 30 pesos |
| Araña (spider) | 35 | 35 pesos |
The horse left a mark too. Because 1 is the horse, and the horse carries positive meaning in Chinese culture, calling someone a caballo in Cuba is a compliment — it means they’re the best at what they do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the charada china?
It’s the original Chinese lottery chart of 36 figures that Chinese laborers brought to Cuba in the 19th century. It is the root of the modern Cuban charada, which has 100 numbers.
How many numbers does the charada china have?
Thirty-six. Cuban players later added numbers 37 to 100, creating the charada used for la bolita today.
What is number 1 in the charada china?
Number 1 is the horse (caballo), the same as in the modern Cuban charada.
What is number 14 in the charada china?
In the original Chinese list, 14 is the tiger cat (gato tigre). In today’s Cuban charada, its main meaning is the cemetery.
What is number 17 in the charada china?
In the Chinese list, 17 is the moon (luna). In the modern Cuban charada, 17 is Saint Lazarus, with the moon as a secondary meaning.
What does the drawing of the Chinese man mean?
The chino de la charada is a chart that places each of the 36 figures on a part of a man’s body. Players used it to read dreams: if you dreamed about a body part, you played the figure written on it.
What does “chiffá” mean?
It’s the Cuban spelling of zìhuā (字花), the Chinese name of the game, which Culin translated as “word blossoming.” The game was also called rifa chiffá in Cuba.
How much did the charada china pay?
Winners received 30 times their bet, according to both Stewart Culin’s 1894 account from the United States and Roger Caillois’ description of the game in Cuba.
Is the charada china the same as the bolita?
No. The charada is the list of numbers and meanings; the bolita is the illegal lottery that uses it. In the charada china the banker hid a figure, while today’s bolita takes its numbers from US state lottery drawings.
Keep Exploring
For all 100 numbers, an A–Z dream dictionary and how the fijo and corridos work, read our complete guide to the Cuban charada. If Cuban beliefs and predictions interest you, don’t miss the babalawos’ yearly Letter of the Year.
Published October 9, 2026. Sources: Stewart Culin, “Tsz’ Fa, or ‘Word Blossoming’” (Overland Monthly, 1894); Roger Caillois, Los juegos y los hombres; US National Archives; EcuRed; Árbol Invertido. Charada meanings vary between lists and families. This article is informational and does not encourage gambling.
