Names of Macau

The name "Macau" (Portuguese pronunciation IPA: [mɐ.'kaw]) is thought to be derived from the Templo de A-Má (Temple of A-Ma or Ma Kok Temple) (媽閣廟, Cantonese Jyutping: Maa1 Gok3 Miu6, local pronunciation: Maa5 Gok3 Miu6 or Maa5 Gok3 Miu5), a still-existing landmark built in 1448 dedicated to the goddess Matsu. The Chinese name Aomen 澳門 (pinyin: Àomén, Cantonese Jyutping: Ou3 Mun4) means "Inlet Gates". The "gates" refer to two erect gate-like mountains of Nantai (Chinese: 南台; pinyin: Nántái) and Beitai (Chinese: 北台; pinyin: Běitái). Alternately, Ao may derive from Macau's previous name Heong San Ou, as it is geographically situated at "Cross' Door".

Macau is also known as Hou Keng Ou (壕鏡澳 Oyster-mirror Inlet), Heong San Ou (香山澳 Xiangshan-ao; Fragrant-mountain Inlet), Lin Tou (蓮島 Liandao; Lotus Island), as well as Soda Port (疏打埠).

While Àomén/Ou3 Mun4 is the traditional Chinese name of the place, it is common among the Cantonese-speaking population of the territory to use the Portuguese name when speaking in Cantonese, pronouncing it Maa3 Gaau1 (Jyutping romanization), occasionally rendering it phonetically as 馬交 in Chinese characters.

The form "Macao" was the original Portuguese spelling, and has been retained in most European languages. In modern Portuguese, the correct spelling is "Macau". During the 20th century, the official spelling "Macau" became more and more common in English-language sources, including most print media.

Since the handover of administration in 1999 (Portugal had unilaterally relinquished its sovereignty over the enclave in 1974 already), the government of Macau considers both "Macao" and "Macau" to be the official English spelling of the name, whereas "Macau" remains the official spelling in Portuguese. This dualism is visible in many government publications and documents, sometimes even within the same paragraph. For example, the traditional English spelling of "Macao" appears on the local government's web portal[1], but the Macau Government Tourist Office uses the "Macau" spelling, as is also reflected in its website [2]. Similarly, "Macao" is used on the MSAR passport, but the government's official explanatory note on the passport spells it as "Macau" [3].

In comparison, the central government of the PRC consistently spells its name as "Macao" in English. Less commonly used, is the pinyin transcription of Aomen, but its usage is not used officially.

As prescribed by the Basic Law, Macau participates in international organisations and international sport events as Macau, China.