Lay vs lie: Learn all the intricacies of these confusing verbs

Lay vs lie; laid vs lain… Not only do these verbs sound similar but they mean almost the same thing. It doesn’t help that the past tense of ‘lie’ is ‘lay’ – so there is a lot of potential to get them mixed up. No wonder this is one of the most easily confused verb pairs in English!

Here we will take a look at when to use lay or lie, including in different tenses. We have plenty of example sentences to illustrate how to use these verbs correctly.

And if you’re wondering whether it’s correct to say lie down or lay down? Well, both are correct but in different circumstances, so we’ll dig into these and other phrasal verbs in more detail as well.

Lay vs lie

What is the difference between lay vs lie?

Here’s the key difference between lay and lie which dictates how you should use the base verbs:

• To lay is to set or place something down.
• To lie is to adopt a flat position on a surface.
• Lay is transitive: it takes a direct object, meaning the action is done to someone or something else.
• Lie is intransitive: it takes no direct object, meaning the subject is doing the action.

In short, if the action is being done to something or someone else then use ‘lay’, otherwise use ‘lie’. This distinction is the same as when looking at rise vs raise.

If you’re not familiar with the concept of transitive and intransitive verbs, this definition might still seem confusing. So let’s take a look at some examples to illustrate the difference between lie and lay.

Side note: the verb ‘lie’ also means to tell an untruth; but we are not talking about this meaning here.

Lay as an intransitive verb in the present tense

Remember, we use ‘lay’ when the action is being done by someone/something to someone/something else:

• She’s sleeping; lay the blanket on her gently.
• Please can you lay the cake on the table?
• Lay your papers on the table at the front of the class when you have finished.
• Let’s lay the boxes beside the TV.

See also: Beside vs besides

Another way to think of it is that you can replace ‘lay’ with ‘put’ in these sentences and they all still make sense.

These examples all use the present tense form of the verb. This is important to note because it gets more complicated when we look at lay vs lie in other tenses later on.

Lie as a transitive verb in the present tense

Next, here is how we use ‘lie’ as a transitive verb:

• My cat loves to lie on the sofa.
• You look tired, why don’t you lie down for a while?
• This bed looks so dirty! I’m not going to lie there.
• Let’s lie in the shade so we don’t get too hot.

Lay vs laid as past tense verbs

When we look at the simple past tense, there is another layer of confusion because the past tense of ‘lie’ is ‘lay’. Here’s a table to show the correct verb forms:

Here are some sentences using the past tense and past participle forms of lay:

• You said you laid the keys on the shelf. Where are they now?
• The students laid their papers on the teacher’s desk.
• I laid the cake on the table, just as you asked.
• And where have you laid the sandwiches?
• I have laid all the planks against the wall.

Again, in any of these sentences you could replace the verb with ‘put’ and you would still have a grammatically correct sentence.

Here are some examples using the past tense and past participle forms of lie:

• We just lay there looking up at the stars.
• They lay down in the grass for a rest.
• My cat lay on the sofa all day yesterday.
• My cat has never lain on my bed; I won’t allow it.

Now we have explored all the variations of lay vs lie that come from different tenses. But there is more to cover in order to give a full overview of this topic, since there are lots of everyday English expressions containing these words which can be equally confusing.

Phrases using lie or lay

You might have questions about common phrasal verbs or other expressions which use either lie or lay. Here are some of the most common.

Lie down or lay down?

The confusing thing about lie down vs lay down is that both are correct in certain circumstances. It depends on whether you need the transitive verb ‘lay’ or the intransitive verb ‘lie’ – and also on the tense you’re using.

‘Lie down’ means to lie, but often with the intention or resting or sleeping. ‘Lay down’ is a variation of ‘lay’ and could also be said as ‘set down’ or ‘put down’.

• I need to lie down for a while. [present tense]
• I lay down for a while. [past tense]
• Please lay down the cake on the table. [present tense]
• I laid down the cake on the table. [past tense]

Lie in bed or lay in bed?

Again, both forms of this lay vs lie conundrum are correct, depending on the tense. ‘Lie in bed’ is present tense whereas ‘lay in bed’ is past tense.

• Every Sunday morning I lie in bed until 10am.
• I suggest you lie in bed until you fall asleep.
• We lay in bed to watch the sunrise yesterday.
• The morning after the storm, I lay in bed not wanting to rise and survey the damage.

You could also use ‘lay’ in its present tense form but you would need to add a direct object:

• Lizzie has fallen asleep on the couch. Let’s lay her in bed.

Lie ahead or lay ahead?

This phrase uses the base verb ‘lie’. However, ‘lie ahead’ becomes ‘lay ahead’ in the past tense:

• Who can know what problems lie ahead?
• When we started the building, we couldn’t have know what problems lay ahead.
• I’m excited about what lies ahead!
• He was excited about what lay ahead.

Lie awake or lay awake?

It’s correct to say ‘lie awake’ but this becomes ‘lay awake’ in the past tense:

• Every night I lie awake listening to the birds outside.
• I hate having to lie awake listening to my neighbors fight next door.
• I couldn’t sleep last night. I lay awake worrying about the test today.
• Simon lay awake staring out of the window until the rain stopped.

Lie low or lay low?

To ‘lie low’ is to stay hidden for a while, keeping a low profile so as to avoid detection. ‘Lay low’ is the past tense version. ‘Lay low’ can also be used in the present tense to mean the same thing, although arguably ‘lie low’ is the more grammatically correct version.

• The police are looking for someone in connection with the robbery. You’d better lie low for a while.
• After moving to a new home, they lay low for several months.

The phrase ‘lie low’ dates back to Shakespearean times, although it had a different meaning then. Did you know that many of the expressions we use today have their origins in the works of Shakespeare?

Let it lie or let it lay?

Both ‘let it lie’ and ‘let it lay’ can be used in this case. The phrase means to stop discussing or dwelling on something, to leave a matter alone, or to take no action regarding a problem.

• The neighbors keep burning trash in their garden but my husband wants to let it lie for a while.
• I know you’re upset but I think it’s best to let the matter lay until you have all the facts.

Although both forms are correct, you may hear one more than the other due to regional variations in language.

Lay back or lie back?

We say ‘lie back’ to describe the action of reclining, often with the intention of relaxing. ‘Lay back’ is the past tense form of ‘lie back’.

• Please lie back in the chair while the dentist examines your mouth.
• There’s nothing better than being able to lie back and relax on the beach.
• Yesterday I planned to lay back and let the kids play outside, but the rain spoiled that idea.

We can also use ‘lay back’ to describe the action of returning something to its previous position, or helping someone else to recline. In this case, there must be a noun or pronoun placed between the two words:

• Please be careful when you lay the vase back on the table.
• The nurse lay the elderly patient back in the chair.

You may often hear phrases like ‘lay back and relax’ used. Although this is an erroneous usage of ‘lay back’, it is becoming more common in everyday English.

Let sleeping dogs lie or lay?

This is a fun dog idiom which means to stay away from a situation so as not to cause trouble.

• Yes, they are your friends, but it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie. They’ll figure it out by themselves.
• If you have forgiven Paul for what he said then let sleeping dogs lie. There’s no need to mention it again.

Interests lie or lay?

This is a different use of the verb ‘lie’ meaning to exist or reside. When you say your interests lie in something, it means that thing is of interest or of advantage to you. We would only use ‘interests lay’ when using this phrase in the past tense.

• It’s clear that the governor’s interests lie in securing the funding for the renovation.
• When I was young my interests lay in art, but now I’m more focused on languages.

Lie in or lay in?

Feeling sleepy after learning about lay vs lie? You might need a lie-in! This is a chiefly British term meaning a prolonged amount of time spent in bed before getting up in the morning.

• I’m looking forward to a lie-in tomorrow morning!
• The kids always let their parents have a lie-in on weekends.

Read more: phrases related to sleep

It’s understandable that people get confused between lay vs lie, with their similar meanings and sounds. Hopefully this article has helped clarify things for you. Leave a comment below if you have any questions or want to check a particular example using lay or lie.

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