macau

IPA/məˈkaʊ/
KK[məkˈaʊ]IPA/məˈkaʊ/

macau — noun

1. a special administrative region on the southern coast of China, near Hong Kong.

1.nounA2
Definition

a special administrative region on the southern coast of China, near Hong Kong. It was ruled by Portugal until 1999, and is now an important tourist destination known for its casinos, historic buildings, and cultural events.

Example

Hari visited the Ruins of St. Paul's in Macau with his family last summer.

visit + [place] in Macau with [someone]

Ingrid bought her mother a silk scarf from a market in Macau's old quarter.

Common collocations
  • in Macau
  • to Macau
  • from Macau
  • Macau's economy
  • Macau's government
  • Macau's casinos
Synonyms
  • Macao

    an older Portuguese spelling still used today, especially in international legal documents

Grammar Patterns

in Macau

to Macau

from Macau

Usage Note

Macau (also spelled Macao) is a proper noun and is not used with the definite article "the." Common prepositions used before it include "in," "to," and "from."

Common Mistakes

The Macau has many luxury hotels.
Macau has many luxury hotels.
Proper place names do not take the definite article 'the' in English.

Word family

  • Macanese
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Macau and Macao refer to the exact same place. Macao is the older Portuguese spelling and is still found in legal, historical, and international documents, while Macau is the more common spelling in modern English. Travelers and news articles almost always use Macau. There is no difference in meaning — only a difference in spelling tradition.

Macau ↗Macao ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • special administrative region of China
  • former Portuguese colony

Prepositions

Etymology

Chinese (Cantonese)PortugueseEnglish

The name Macau comes from the Portuguese spelling Macau, which was adapted from the Chinese A-Ma Gau (媽港), meaning 'Bay of A-Ma.' A-Ma is a sea goddess whose temple still stands in the area, and the name originally referred to the temple's location before being used for the whole territory.