Dobi Apps
Similar meanings

Lie vs Lay

What is the difference between lie and lay?

Lie means to be flat and has no object (lie down); lay means to put something down and always needs an object (lay the book on the table).

Lie vs Lay at a glance

  • lie

    /laɪ/ · verb (intransitive)

    To be or put yourself in a flat position, for example on a bed.

    • I need to lie down for a bit, I've got a headache.
    • On Sundays I just lie on the sofa and read.
    “lie” in the vocabulary guide
  • lay

    /leɪ/ · verb (transitive)

    To put something or someone down carefully in a flat position.

    • Could you lay the baby on the bed while I get her clothes?
    • Let's lay the map out on the table.
    “lay” in the vocabulary guide

How to remember it

Lay needs a thing: you lay something down. Hens lay eggs, people lay the table, but you lie in bed. If you can ask "lay what?", lay is right.

Good to know

Verb forms: lie, lay, lain (lying) for the intransitive verb, which takes no object; lay, laid, laid (laying) for the transitive verb, which takes an object. The tricky part: the past of lie is lay ("She lay on the grass"). Lie meaning "say something untrue" is regular: lie, lied, lied. In informal speech, many native speakers say "lay down", but it is not correct in standard English.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: I'm going to lay down for an hour.

    Right: I'm going to lie down for an hour.

  • Wrong: Yesterday I laid in bed all morning.

    Right: Yesterday I lay in bed all morning.

  • Wrong: Lie your coat on the chair.

    Right: Lay your coat on the chair.

Quick quiz

  1. 1.The doctor told me to on my back.

  2. 2.Please the plates on the table for dinner.

  3. 3.Why don't you down and rest?

Pick the right word for each gap.

Often confused too