lie
Base form
lie
/laɪ/
Past simple
lay
/leɪ/
Past participle
lain
/leɪn/
MeaningA1
to be in a flat position, e.g. on a bed
to lie face down on the floor
In use
- Negative · Form 1Don’t lie on the grass while it’s still wet from the rain.
- After a modal verb · Form 1You should lie down for a while if you feel dizzy.
- Past simple · Form 2Yesterday afternoon I lay on the sofa and watched old films.
- Past simple · Form 2Last summer we lay on the beach every afternoon for a week.
- Present perfect · Form 3The letter has lain on my desk unopened for a week.
- Past perfect · Form 3The old boat had lain at the bottom of the lake for fifty years.
Watch out
Lay is the past of lie: I lay down. But lay — laid means put down, and lie — lied means say something untrue.
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