Lie or lay: which is correct?
Correct
lie (to recline: lie, lay, lain) / lay (to place something: lay, laid, laid)
Avoid
lay (for "recline" in the present: "I'm going to lay down")
Avoid
laid (as the past tense of lie: "he laid on the sofa")
Summary
Correct: lie (to recline: lie, lay, lain) / lay (to place something: lay, laid, laid) — Avoid: lay (for "recline" in the present: "I'm going to lay down") / laid (as the past tense of lie: "he laid on the sofa"). Lie = to be in or get into a flat position, with no object (lie down); lay = to put something down, always with an object (lay the table).
- Part of speech
- verb
- Source
- Merriam-Webster
Why
Merriam-Webster: lie is intransitive (you lie down), lay is transitive (you lay something down). The confusion comes from the forms: the past tense of lie is lay (yesterday I lay down), while the past tense of lay is laid.
Examples
- I need to lie down for a while.
- Lay the book on the table, please.
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