Lay vs. lie generally have many uses. Both of them have different uses.
Short answer: Lay means “to put something down” and needs an object: Lay the book on the table. Lie means “to recline” and has no object: I lie down every afternoon.
The verb forms
| Verb | Present | Past | Past participle | -ing form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lay (put down) | lay | laid | laid | laying | She laid the baby in the crib. |
| lie (recline) | lie | lay | lain | lying | He lay on the couch all afternoon. |
| lie (say something untrue) | lie | lied | lied | lying | She lied about her age. |
The confusion comes from the past tense of lie, which is lay, the same as the present tense of lay.
How to choose
- Is there a direct object, something being put somewhere? Use lay (laid, laid).
- Is the subject itself resting or being in a position? Use lie (lay, lain).
- Please lay the keys on the table. (keys = object)
- I need to lie down. (no object)
- Yesterday I lay down for a nap. (past of lie)
- The documents have lain on his desk for weeks. (past participle of lie)
- Hens lay eggs. (eggs = object)
Common mistakes
- I’m going to lay down. Use lie: I’m going to lie down.
- I laid in bed all morning. Use lay: I lay in bed all morning.
- He layed the book down. The correct past form is laid. There is no word “layed.”
In casual American speech, many people say “lay down” for “lie down.” Use the standard forms in writing.
Take the lay vs. lie quiz
1.Please ___ the keys on the table.
“The keys” is the object being put down: lay.
2.I need to ___ down for a few minutes.
No object, and the subject is resting: lie.
3.Yesterday she ___ in bed until noon.
Past tense of lie (recline) is lay.
4.He ___ the baby in the crib.
Past tense of lay (put down) is laid. The baby is the object.
5.The documents have ___ on his desk for weeks.
Past participle of lie (rest in a position) is lain.
6.Hens ___ eggs.
Eggs is the object being produced and placed: lay.
7.She is ___ the cards face down.
-ing form of lay (put down): laying.
8.Which sentence is correct?
The past tense of lie (recline) is lay.
9.After the storm, the fallen tree ___ across the road.
Simple past of lie (rest in a position): lay.
10.What is the past tense of lie meaning “say something untrue”?
This lie is a regular verb: lie, lied, lied.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between lay and lie?
Lay means to put something down and takes an object. Lie means to recline and takes no object.
What is the past tense of lie?
For recline, it is lay (I lay down yesterday). For say something untrue, it is lied.
Is ‘layed’ a word?
No. The past tense of lay is laid.
