Meaning & use
Machu Picchu
Last updated
Meaning
proper nounproper
An ancient Inca city high in the Andes mountains of Peru, built in the 1400s and now a famous tourist site.
Grammar: Names of places take no article: 'Machu Picchu is in Peru,' not 'the Machu Picchu.'
Patterns
- visit Machu Picchu
- Machu Picchu is located in ...
We took a train to Machu Picchu and spent the whole day exploring the ruins.
Machu Picchu was built by the Inca civilization more than 500 years ago.
Many visitors hike the Inca Trail to reach Machu Picchu at sunrise.
Common combinations
- visit Machu Picchu
- Thousands of tourists visit Machu Picchu every year.
- the ruins of Machu Picchu
- The ruins of Machu Picchu are remarkably well preserved.
- hike to Machu Picchu
- They hiked to Machu Picchu along the old Inca path.
- Machu Picchu is located in Peru
- Machu Picchu is located in the Cusco region of Peru.
Synonyms and how they differ
- the Lost City of the Incas
- A romantic nickname for Machu Picchu, often used in travel writing and history books.
Commonly confused: Machu Picchu or Inca?
Machu Picchu vs Inca
Inca refers to the people or their empire; Machu Picchu is the specific place they built.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Names of places like Machu Picchu are proper nouns and do not take articles. 'The' would be wrong because it is a specific name, not a common noun; 'a' is also wrong for the same reason.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Machu Picchu”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.