Lay means to put or place something down. It needs an object.
Lie means to recline, rest, or be in a flat position. It does not need an object.
Correct:
Please lay the book on the table.
I need to lie down for a few minutes.
The easiest rule is this: lay something down, but lie down yourself.
Quick Answer
Use lay when someone puts something somewhere.
Example:
Lay your phone on the desk.
The object is your phone.
Use lie when someone or something rests or reclines.
Example:
I want to lie on the couch.
No object is being placed.
The confusing part is the past tense. The past tense of lie is lay, while the past tense of lay is laid.
The Rule Explained
Lay is a transitive verb. That means it needs a direct object.
A direct object answers what? or whom?
Example:
She laid the blanket on the bed.
What did she lay?
The blanket.
Since the sentence has an object, lay is the correct verb family.
Lie is an intransitive verb. That means it does not take a direct object.
Example:
The dog lies by the door.
The dog is not placing anything. The dog is resting.
Here are the main forms:
Verb Meaning Present Past Past Participle -ing Form
Lay To put something down lay laid laid laying
Lie To recline or rest lie lay lain lying
This article focuses on lie meaning “to recline.” The verb lie can also mean “to say something false,” but that verb uses different forms: lie, lied, lied, lying.
When To Use It
Use Lay When Something Is Being Placed
Use lay when a person places something or someone somewhere.
Correct:
Lay the folder on my desk.
Please lay your coat on the chair.
She lays the baby in the crib after lunch.
The workers lay tile in the kitchen.
In each sentence, something is being placed.
Ask:
Lay what?
Answers:
the folder
your coat
the baby
tile
If you can answer what?, use lay.
Use Laid For The Past Tense Of Lay
The past tense of lay is laid.
Correct:
I laid my keys on the counter.
She laid the towel on the chair.
They laid the carpet yesterday.
He laid the papers beside the laptop.
The word laid still needs an object.
Ask:
Laid what?
Answers:
my keys
the towel
the carpet
the papers
Use Laying When The Placing Is Happening Now
Use laying when someone is placing something.
Correct:
She is laying the baby in the crib.
They are laying new flooring in the hallway.
I am laying the documents on your desk.
The crew is laying cables under the street.
In each sentence, there is an object.
Use Lie When Someone Reclines Or Rests
Use lie when someone or something rests, reclines, or is in a flat position.
Correct:
I need to lie down.
The cat likes to lie in the sun.
He wants to lie on the couch after work.
The book can lie flat on the table.
No object is being placed.
You are not laying something. You are resting.
Use Lay As The Past Tense Of Lie
This is the part that causes the most confusion.
The past tense of lie is lay.
Correct:
Yesterday, I lay on the couch for an hour.
She lay awake most of the night.
The dog lay by the fire after dinner.
He lay on the floor after the workout.
This use of lay does not take an object because it belongs to the lie verb family.
Use Lain With Has, Have, Or Had
The past participle of lie is lain.
Correct:
She has lain awake since midnight.
The papers had lain untouched for weeks.
He had lain in bed all morning.
The old rug has lain in the attic for years.
Lain is correct, but it sounds formal to many speakers. In casual speech, people often avoid it by rewriting the sentence.
Formal:
She has lain awake for hours.
More casual:
She has been awake for hours.
Use Lying When Someone Is Resting Or Reclining
Use lying when someone or something is resting or reclining right now.
Correct:
The cat is lying in the sun.
She is lying on the couch.
The dog is lying by the door.
I was lying in bed when the alarm rang.
Do not use laying here unless something is being placed.
When Not To Use It
Do Not Use Lay For Present-Tense Reclining
Incorrect:
I need to lay down.
Correct:
I need to lie down.
There is no object, so lie is correct.
Do Not Use Laid For The Past Tense Of Reclining
Incorrect:
I laid on the sofa after work.
Correct:
I lay on the sofa after work.
The sentence means you reclined. You did not place an object.
Do Not Use Lie When Something Is Being Placed
Incorrect:
Please lie the folder on my desk.
Correct:
Please lay the folder on my desk.
The folder is the object. Use lay.
Do Not Confuse Lying And Laying
Incorrect:
She is laying on the floor.
Correct:
She is lying on the floor.
She is reclining. She is not placing something.
Correct with laying:
She is laying the blanket on the floor.
Now there is an object: the blanket.
Do Not Use Layed
Layed is not the standard past tense of lay.
Incorrect:
I layed the book on the table.
Correct:
I laid the book on the table.
Use laid for the past tense and past participle of lay.
Common Mistakes
Saying Lay Down Instead Of Lie Down
Incorrect:
I am going to lay down.
Correct:
I am going to lie down.
No object follows the verb.
Correct with an object:
I am going to lay the baby down.
The object is the baby.
Using Laid Instead Of Lay For Past-Tense Lie
Incorrect:
He laid in bed all morning.
Correct:
He lay in bed all morning.
He was resting. He was not placing something.
Using Laying When Lying Is Correct
Incorrect:
The dog is laying by the door.
Correct:
The dog is lying by the door.
The dog is resting.
Correct with laying:
The worker is laying tile by the door.
The object is tile.
Forgetting That Lay Needs An Object
Incorrect:
She lays down after lunch.
Correct:
She lies down after lunch.
But this sentence is correct:
She lays the baby down after lunch.
The baby is the object.
Confusing Lie With Lied
The verb lie can also mean “to say something false.”
That verb has different forms:
lie
lied
lied
lying
Correct:
He lied about his age.
She is lying about what happened.
This is different from lie meaning “to recline.”
Recline:
Yesterday, I lay down early.
Tell an untruth:
Yesterday, I lied about being busy.
Correct Examples
Sentence Correct Word Why
Please lay the papers on my desk. lay Papers is the object.
I need to lie down. lie No object follows the verb.
She laid the towel on the chair. laid Past tense of lay.
He lay on the floor yesterday. lay Past tense of lie.
The cat is lying in the window. lying The cat is resting.
They are laying tile in the kitchen. laying Tile is the object.
She has lain awake for hours. lain Past participle of lie.
I have laid the folder on your desk. laid Past participle of lay.
More examples:
I lay my jacket on this chair every morning.
Yesterday, I laid my jacket on this chair.
I lie on the sofa when I am tired.
Yesterday, I lay on the sofa after dinner.
The papers have lain untouched for weeks.
The workers are laying bricks near the driveway.
The child is lying under a blanket.
Please lay the package by the door.
Quick Memory Fix Or Rule Of Thumb
Use this test:
Lay what?
If you can answer that question, use lay.
Example:
Lay what?
Lay the book.
Use lay.
If you cannot answer what?, use lie.
Example:
I need to lie down.
You are not placing an object. You are reclining.
Remember:
Lay it down. Lie down.
FAQs
What is the difference between lay and lie?
Lay means to put or place something down. It needs an object.
Lie means to recline or rest. It does not need an object.
Correct:
Lay the book on the table.
Lie down for a few minutes.
Is it lay down or lie down?
The correct present-tense phrase is:
Lie down.
Example:
I need to lie down.
Use lay down only when placing something or someone down.
Example:
Lay the baby down gently.
Is it lying or laying in bed?
The correct phrase is usually:
Lying in bed.
Example:
She is lying in bed.
Use laying only if someone is placing something.
Example:
She is laying the blanket on the bed.
What is the past tense of lie?
The past tense of lie meaning “recline” is lay.
Example:
Yesterday, I lay on the couch.
The past participle is lain.
Example:
I have lain awake for hours.
What is the past tense of lay?
The past tense of lay is laid.
Example:
I laid the book on the table.
The past participle is also laid.
Example:
I have laid the book on the table.
Is “I laid down” correct?
It depends on the meaning.
Incorrect if you mean you reclined:
I laid down after work.
Correct:
I lay down after work.
Correct if you placed something down:
I laid down the bag.
Is lain still used?
Yes. Lain is still the traditional past participle of lie meaning “recline.”
Example:
She has lain awake all night.
It sounds formal to many speakers, so people often rewrite the sentence in casual speech.
Is layed a word?
Layed is not the standard past tense of lay.
Incorrect:
I layed the keys on the counter.
Correct:
I laid the keys on the counter.
Use laid, not layed.
Does lie also mean not telling the truth?
Yes. Lie can also mean “to say something false.”
That verb has different forms:
lie
lied
lied
lying
Example:
He lied about his age.
That is different from lie meaning “recline.”
What is the easiest way to remember lay vs. lie?
Use this phrase:
Lay it down. Lie down.
If something is being placed, use lay. If someone or something is resting, use lie.
Conclusion
Use lay when someone puts or places something down. Use lie when someone reclines, rests, or is in a flat position.
The easiest test is to look for an object. If something is being placed, use lay. If no object is being placed, use lie.
Remember the simple phrase: Lay it down. Lie down.
