What's the past tense of "lie" and "lay"?
The past tense of lie (to recline) is lay, and the past participle is lain. The past tense of lay (to place) is laid, and the past participle is also laid.
Definition of lie and lay
Lie has two meanings as a verb: 1) To tell an untruth or false statement (past tense: lied), and 2) To assume a horizontal position or recline (past tense: lay, past participle: lain). Lay means to put or place something down (past tense: laid, past participle: laid).
- The past tense of lie (to recline) is lay.
- The past participle of lie (to recline) is lain.
- The past tense of lay (to place) is laid.
- The past participle of lay (to place) is laid.
Verb forms of 'lie' and 'lay'
Are "lie" and "lay" regular or irregular verbs?
Note: Regular verbs end in -ed in the past tense. Any other verb ending is considered irregular.
The verbs 'lie' and 'lay' are irregular because they don't follow the standard -ed pattern. 'Lie' changes from lie → lay → lain, while 'lay' changes from lay → laid → laid. This creates confusion because 'lay' is both the present tense of 'lay' (to place) and the past tense of 'lie' (to recline).
When to use "laid" vs. "lied" vs. "lain"
Yesterday, she lay down for a brief rest.
Please lay the blanket over the sleeping child.
The key difference is that lie (to recline) is intransitive (doesn't take an object), while lay (to place) is transitive (requires an object). When used as a participle, lain requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had, whereas laid also requires an auxiliary verb but is used with objects.
Similar irregular verbs
Like lie and lay, these verbs follow irregular patterns and can be confusing to use correctly.
Sentence examples: lie, lay, laid, lain
• The cat lies on the windowsill, basking in the sunlight.
• She likes to lie down for a nap after lunch.
• The dog lies at his master's feet.
• The cat lay on the windowsill, basking in the sunlight.
• He lay awake all night worrying about the exam.
• The dog lay at his master's feet.
• The hen lays three eggs every day this week.
• We lay down the cement first.
• The builder lays each brick carefully.
• The builder laid each brick carefully to form a straight wall.
• The hen has laid three eggs every day this week.
• She had laid her books on the table before walking over to us.
• He had lain on the beach all day, soaking up the sun.
• The picnic blanket had lain undisturbed in the grass since morning.
• By the time we arrived, the patient had already lain in bed for hours.
Synonyms & nearby words
Synonyms for lie
Synonyms for lay
Nearby phrases
Origin of the verbs lie and lay
From etymology online on lie and lay:
"Speak falsely, tell an untruth for the purpose of misleading," Middle English lien, from Old English legan, ligan, earlier leogan "deceive, belie, betray." And "rest horizontally, be in a recumbent position," Middle English lien, from Old English licgan. "Put, place, set down," Middle English leien, from Old English lecgan "to place, put, set, lay down," from Proto-Germanic *lagjanan.
Practice: Laid down or lied down
She has ______ her keys on the kitchen table every morning this week.
He ______ about where he had been last night.
The builder ______ each brick carefully to form a straight wall.
She ______ to her teacher about finishing the homework.
The hen has ______ three eggs every day this week.
He ______ to his boss about being late for work.
FAQs
What is the difference between lie and lay?
What is the past tense of lie meaning to recline?
What is the past tense of lay meaning to place?
Is 'I need to lay down' correct?
What is the past participle of lie to recline?
Sources
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Oxford English Dictionary. "lie, v." and "lay, v." OED Online. Oxford University Press. Date of access 15 Jan. 2025.
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Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of lie." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/lie. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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Merriam-Webster Dictionary. "Lie vs. Lay." Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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