lay
verbto put something down carefully in a place
Lay + a thing: lay the table, lay an egg.
Lay vs lie
Ask: is anything being put down? If yes, use lay. If you are the one resting, use lie. (Confusingly, lay is also the past of lie: “Yesterday I lay down.”)
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Quick answer
In the present tense, lay takes an object: you lay something down. Lie has no object: you lie down yourself.
lie
verbto rest flat, or to be in a position, without an object
Lie alone: you lie down yourself.
The difference at a glance
| Word | Type | Means | Example | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| lay | verb | to put something down carefully in a place | Please lay the documents on my desk. | |
| lie | verb | to rest flat, or to be in a position, without an object | I need to lie down for ten minutes. |
See each one in a sentence
verb
lay
Examples
Please lay the documents on my desk.
Hens lay eggs almost every day.
Common mistake
Not: She lied the baby in the cot.
Say: She laid the baby in the cot.
Lay needs an object (the baby). Its past form is laid.
verb
lie
Examples
I need to lie down for ten minutes.
I like to lie in bed and read on Sundays.
Common mistake
Not: I'm going to lay down for a while.
Say: I'm going to lie down for a while.
Nobody is putting anything down, so use lie.
Pick the right word
Fill the gap
Read the sentence, then choose the word that fits.
Now use them yourself
Write or say two sentences, one with each word, in a real conversation.