Meanings
plural joss papers
- A sheet of paper or other papercraft item used as a burnt offering in traditional Chinese veneration of the dead.
There is also a difference in the joss papers. For spirits (souls), the joss paper is silver. Gold is generally meant for gods and deities. Depending on the financial status of the family, the offering of food can be on the high end.
2013, Khoo Boo Eng, A Simple Approach to Taoism: Festivals, Worship and Rituals, Partridge Publishing Singapore, →ISBNSynonyms: ghost money, spirit money
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA sheet of paper or other papercraft item used as a burnt offering in traditional Chinese veneration of the dead.
Translations
Chinese Cantonese 陰司紙 /阴司纸, 冥鏹 /冥镪
- 陰司紙 /阴司纸 (jam¹ si¹ zi²)sheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- 冥鏹 /冥镪 (ming⁵ koeng⁵)sheet of paper used as a burnt offering
Chinese Mandarin 紙錢 /纸钱, 神紙 /神纸
- 紙錢 /纸钱 (zhǐqián)sheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- 神紙 /神纸 (shénzhǐ)sheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- 金紙 /金纸 (jīnzhǐ)sheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- 陰司紙 /阴司纸 (yīnsīzhǐ)sheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- 冥幣 /冥币 (míngbì)sheet of paper used as a burnt offering
Finnish joss-paperi
- joss-paperisheet of paper used as a burnt offering
French billet funéraire
- billet funérairesheet of paper used as a burnt offering
Italian banconota funeraria
- banconota funerariasheet of paper used as a burnt offering
Spanish billete funerario, dinero fantasma
- billete funerariosheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- dinero fantasmasheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- dinero de espíritusheet of paper used as a burnt offering
Thai กระดาษเงินกระดาษทอง
- กระดาษเงินกระดาษทอง (grà-dàat-ngəən-grà-dàat-tɔɔng)sheet of paper used as a burnt offering
Vietnamese đồ mã, mã
- đồ mãsheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- mãsheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- tiền âm phủsheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- tiền vàng bạcsheet of paper used as a burnt offering
- tiền vàng mãsheet of paper used as a burnt offering
Cite this entry
joss paper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/joss%20paper
“joss paper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/joss%20paper. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “joss paper,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/joss%20paper.
Source: joss paper on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.